Strawberry Fields
by Jersey S
Summary: BTN and FoMT continuity. Makoto's still on trial to see if he's worthy of keeping the farm. It's a coming of age story. Ch 16 Everyone's mad at Kai, but he doesn't entirely understand that.
1. Lost Boy In Town

Strawberry Fields

I need to say something before I start the story. This is a new story, but it's not. Actually, it's the continuation of the plot of my other story, In My Life. But, it's a new story because I'm taking things more from the viewpoint of everyone in Mineral Town, including the previous owner of the farm. I guess what I want to say in this speech is I am in no way intending to alienate the readers of In My Life. Without you guys, I wouldn't have gone this far. I truly am thankful to everyone who's offered insight so far. But the thing is, if I could write it over, I would. I'm not abandoning it, though. Actually, I want to set this in the direction I want things to go in, and then go back and fill in the blanks.

I don't want to do it over. I want to move forward. So, I present to you- the next part of the story.

xXxX

Two men sat across from each other at the kitchen table that night with silence in the air. One of them, a bald man with a white beard, watched the other man while he cracked his knuckles in anticipation. He knew the other man had something to tell him, but the other man wouldn't speak. He instead stared intensely at nothing, eyes down.

The bald man let out a polite smile, idly pushing his empty tea cup out of his way. Then he caught sight of the other man's cold, stagnant pool of tea. Normally, the acute man never held out on speaking. His self-confidence usually shined through his sharp eyes and his good posture, but it suffered that day along with his eloquence. Finally, he looked up at the bald man with eyes reflecting his trepidation.

"Barley?" he asked.

"Yeah, Joe?"

A pained sigh rose up from Joe's end.

"I'm dying," Joe finally said as he idly gripped the sides of the straw hat sitting on his lap. Barley's hands slipped off of his tea cup, his focus nailed to his friend. Joe couldn't even bring himself to watch Barley stare with his mouth agape. He forced his focus somewhere else while Barley choked on his words.

Joe looked back up at him and solemnly nodded, and then idly ran a hand to push back his gray hair. He felt seconds drag as slowly as the beads of sweat dribbled down his tree trunk neck.

"I just feel it," he added. "I just feel myself getting weak." His hands trembled as he spoke, so he hid them under the table.

"I never thought it'd be you telling me this, Joe," Barley said. Joe's face fell into a frown, and Barley asked: "Jojo?"

"It's because I pushed myself so much when I was younger," Joe spat. "Now it's catching up to me." He looked across the table. "Now my time's short."

Barley nodded, letting out a sigh.

"I guess we all have to go sometime."

"I guess," Joe sighed. "I need to figure out what to do with everything. I'm getting too tired to take care of my livestock, so I want you to have all of them."

Barley nodded.

"Likewise, I'll leave Rick and Lillia with my chickens," he continued. Barley watched him, ready to speak. And just as Joe trailed, Barley knew he had to ask.

"What about the farm?"

Joe looked up at him with a lopsided smile.

"I know exactly who I want to have it," he said. Barley arched his eyebrows and wore a slightly puzzled expression. "My penpal."

"Your penpal?" Barley echoed, puzzled. He waited for Joe's nod.

"Yup," Joe replied. "He's not a farmer or anything, but he's young and fit for the job. Sixteen now." He scratched his square chin as he pondered. "Quiet and really shy in person, but he's taken to writing a lot to me ever since he was seven." Barley nodded.

"You mean that boy who visited your farm?" he asked. Joe nodded. "Yeah," Barley continued. "I remember him." He let out a smile. "And how shy he was." But his baffled reaction snuck back under his brow. He cocked his head at Joe and asked: "But is he going to be alright over there?"

Joe nodded as an inkling of his confidence poked through his eyes.

"He'll have the whole town to help him. I'd want you guys to get him started, help him settle in. I think it'd be a good thing for him to live here. He'd definitely come out of his shell, learn a great deal more of responsibility…" His eyes wandered as he trailed. "Lots of stuff, I guess."

Barley's face fell at Joe's response. When Joe arched an eyebrow at him, Barley shook his head with a "sorry".

"No biggie," Joe replied. "But man, he'd turn out to be a great farmer after a while. He really works hard, you know." He kept talking while Barley watched intently.

xXxX

Mayor Thomas Moore strutted with confidence through the town square despite standing at four feet tall. In his usual bright hues of his suits and an equally bright top hat to cover his bald head, he made sure he had distinction. People did not tend to notice him from his height, but from the suits he wore and the thick moustache he always carefully trimmed.

He approached Mineral Town's only police officer, his son, and took the megaphone presented to him. As he twirled his moustache around his finger and watched two men attempt to affix a banner between two posts, he held up the megaphone.

"Alright!" he said, commanding the men's attention. "Basil, I need you to lift your end more, and… what's your name again?"

"Kano," the other man sighed. When the Mayor gave him a baffled look, he replied with: "I've been taking pictures here for fifteen years?" He noticed the same look from the Mayor. "I'm renting the extra room in your house because you wanted someone to patrol the closets for monsters since your son never wanted to do it?" he asked, irked.

"Whatever," the Mayor replied, halfway muttering it under his moustache. "Just keep our banner steady."

Kano shrugged and watched the shorter Basil fiddle with his end of the banner. Basil couldn't seem to make up his mind, but after a few attempts, set it straight.

"Lower!" the Mayor said. Resigned, Basil did what the Mayor wanted.

The police officer, Harris, glanced up from adjusting his well-polished badge with a grunt before turning back down to fix his badge again. It was a common practice of his to make sure the words "Constable Harris Moore" could always be read, even if Mineral Town had a small enough population for everyone to know everyone else's full names. Upon a second inspection of the banner, he furrowed his brow.

"Dad," he said in his nasal voice. "It's not straight anymore."

"Sure it is, son," the Mayor replied, looking up with a grin. He patted Harris on the arm. "Now why don't you go patrol or something?" Harris's face went sour; he wrinkled his long nose as he pulled on the brim of his cap on his way out With that, the Mayor returned to aiding Basil and Kano with messing up the banners even more.

The Mayor fixated his focus, muttering "Almost… almost…" under his breath. As if his finger could set the banner straight, he moved it up and down as Basil adjusted his end.

"Almost…" the Mayor said in a more audible voice. "Almost…"

"YOU GUYS!"

Basil took a jerky step backwards and kissed cobblestone before he could realize what happened, while Kano almost did the same. When the startled photographer looked down, he saw a dark haired woman flailing her hands. The Mayor grew irate while the woman stuttered, and finally shouted: "What, Manna! What is it?"

"T-THERE'S A STRANGER WANDERING AROUND THE OLD MAN'S FARM!" she finally sputtered. The Mayor gasped, and before Basil could pull himself to his feet, he darted for the farm as quickly as his stubby legs could propel him. He barely excused himself as he swung around the hips of villagers making their way down the road. All that seemed to matter to him was keeping his hat on his head, aside from reaching the farm.

He hooked on the corner of Starr Road, finding himself slowing down with exhaustion at the final stretch of road. Sure enough, a lanky stranger stood staring hopelessly around the weed-strangled fields, his body looking tired and his clothes and hair dirty.

The Mayor stood staring, not knowing what to say. The stranger seemed oblivious, but something had to catch his attention. All the Mayor could do for a while was stand and clench his fists and molars. He sucked in a quick breath.

"WHAT ARE YOU _DOING _HERE!" he finally shouted as he found himself running wildly up to the stranger. He stopped at his feet, waiting for the stranger's reaction and having time to wait. The stranger turned his face, and it looked as if his eyes stared short of the Mayor. The eyes hid everything and kept the stranger at a distance.

Shaking his head and breathing heavily, the Mayor spoke again.

"You can't trespass here," he said. "This land belongs to somebody." He saw villagers gathering along the south road in silence out of the corner of his eye. When he set his focus back on the stranger, he added firmly: "Leave right now."

As more villagers gathered around the fence, clamor arose from the crowd.

"Is he lost?" someone piped up.

"Maybe he came from the Valley, or Hackettsburg."

"Or the city."

"Did Gotz see him up in Mother's Hill?"

They watched as the stranger held an unfolded note to the Mayor's face and allowed the man to take it. His expression drooped as he read further down the page. Once he finished, he looked at the stranger, silent as if not sure what to say next.

"So you knew the old man?" he finally asked. The stranger nodded in reply, leaving the Mayor too choked up to keep his eyes on him. "He died a while back, you know," he told the stranger.

He looked over at the stranger to catch his sad eyes. Once again, he looked distant, ghastly, and troubled. With a sigh, the Mayor moved his focus from the stranger to the fields.

"This was, at one point, his prosperous farm," the Mayor told the stranger. He revealed his pained expression to the farmer, and worry choked his voice as he spoke. "Now I don't know what it'll come to. He left it to a lad in his will," he paused. "…a lad named Sergeant Makoto Ogawa. But what if he never shows up?"

The Mayor caught the stranger's eyes again, but just as quickly as he lost them.

"I'm him," the stranger uttered. The Mayor stood, his mouth hung open and his tongue once again wrestled to the bottom of his mouth. The stranger didn't hear him begin to stammer.

"_You're_ him?" he finally blurted.

The clamor grew into a mild commotion from the crowd as the Mayor turned from the stranger. He clutched his head as if trying to split his skull open, as he muttered something. After looking like whatever the stranger said floored him, he let out a few breaths before turning back to him. Some parting words escaped his lips, enlisting a nod from the stranger. Finally, the Mayor turned to make his way to the gate, sure to stop motion to the boy. Before walking again, he turned to Harris and made a series of gesticulations.

"Meeting… Inn…" Harris muttered to himself, waiting for his father to remember the next signal. "Hour… without the transient… got it." With that, he turned and waved the people away. "You heard the Mayor," he announced, although no one knew what he was talking about. He sighed. "Meeting at the Inn in an hour."

xXxX

"Okay," a heavy man with streaked dark hair said, standing up and obstructing the view of the Mayor standing on his soapbox. "So run this by me again. That scruffy kid is the same Makoto Ogawataka Jojo mentioned in his will."

"Ogawa. And yes, that's what he said, Duke," the Mayor replied, speaking amongst chatter from another table. He leaned towards the mike mounted on his podium while Duke groaned.

"My ass! First of all, he doesn't even look Chinese!" Duke retorted.

"His name's not a Chinese name!" someone told him. Duke rolled his eyes.

"Maybe he's half something else," the Mayor said with a shrug. "Because yes, I agree, he looks nothing like those kids on public access."

"What if he's an intruder!" Duke piped up, his face boiling into a shade of crimson. The Mayor let out his own groan, about to say something

"What if you stop coming up with such hock for once?" a girl named Karen said firmly to rival Duke's voice. Clamor from all corners ceased, but not for long.

"I've got a strange feeling about him," someone said. More people threw their opinions into the clamor until the Mayor blatantly cleared his throat.

"Okay now," the Mayor began as soon as everyone fell silent. "We need to come to an agreement here."

Another man with neat, red hair and a trimmed moustache, Doug, stood up.

"I don't think this guy's a fraud. Besides, we shouldn't be judging this kid so negatively if we don't know him yet." He narrowed his eyes at his subject. "Duke."

Duke let out another groan, and dug his fingers into his forehead to massage his temple. When he finished, he sucked in a deep breath.

"But it's the old man's farm!" he explained. "That was his life! It's been in his family for centuries, like my vineyard! I know I wouldn't want some hack getting my vineyard when I kick the bucket." Manna, the woman who wore his ring, stared at him from her seat. "And Jojo wouldn't want that to happen either. His farm won't be ruined by some stranger!"

"We don't have a choice!" Doug proclaimed, speaking more to everyone else. "Think about it. A stranger would get the farm anyway if we don't give it to this kid. Things change, and we have to move on." He paused. "Joe doesn't have kids or relatives. If he picked Makoto, and this guy shows up and says he's Makoto." He paused again, watching the faces of the crowd. "This guy didn't even know Joe died. It doesn't make sense if he's a fraud. Besides, who knows what's in Joe's will aside from all of us? It's not like anyone's told people from outside our town."

The Mayor's face fell along with the noise. He bit his lip nervously as his stomach did flips during the silence.

"Y-yeah," he finally said, pointing at Doug. "Darn straight, Doug." With that, Duke let out another groan from his post.

"Fine!" he exclaimed. "But is this guy up for the challenge?" He waited for the Mayor to reply, initially only receiving a shrug.

"I guess we'll have to see," the Mayor said. The questions rose again.

"Has anyone ever asked him why he came here?"

"Well," the Mayor began. "He's Jojo's penpal from way back. He gave me a letter dated Summer 30th that he replied to. But…" He sighed. "And as you all know, Jojo died eleven days later, and when Makoto realized he didn't get another letter, he came here."

Murmurs rose up around the room, until Duke stood again.

"So Jojo left his farm to some kid who probably knows nothing about farming," he said. "Military school kid, right?" The Mayor nodded. "Then I say we put him on trial," Duke proposed. For once, a few people chimed in agreement.

"Sounds fair enough," Doug said. "We should give him a few years to fix the farm up."

"Five!"

"Too long!" Duke protested.

"Two!"

"Good!" Duke said.

"Too short," Doug told him.

xXxX

Almost a year passed since the stranger arrived at Mineral Town. He ended up receiving the farm under the terms he restored it to its original glory in three years. But he also had to be liked by the villagers, something that initially didn't happen with his attitude. He knew they didn't like him, but never got out on the town enough to listen to the conversations about him. Instead, he took to working on his farm, viewing it solely as a task he could just finish before moving on with his life.

Another side of Makoto lived masked by his complacency. More than a few arguments broke out over him, and in the face of the insults, he seemed unwilling to defend himself. But underneath the person hiding from the ghosts of his tumultuous life, untapped strength festered.

The pale morning light washed into the Mayor's home as he made his way to his work desk. He climbed his chair to situate himself on his pile of phonebooks. Once he found himself comfortable, he took his red Sharpie and marked 'Winter 30th, 2004' off his desk calendar.

"New Years Eve!" he announced to himself. His attention turned to his pencil cup that read "Number 1 Dad", but it was really the red crayon that roused his interest that day. He snagged it with his stubby fingers as he pulled some paper out of the lone printer on a nearby file cabinet. With no computer in sight, he set the paper in front of him and began jotting down an itinerary.

"New Year's festival," he said to himself. "All the decorations are done." He stared down at his paper, squeezing his crayon and arching his eyebrows. But a bright yellow bucket called his attention, and he couldn't shake the image from the corner of his eyes. His focus wandered from the itinerary to the Legos sitting on the adjacent set of drawers.

But the front door flew open and slammed into the wall as someone scraped his way inside.

"DAD!"

The Mayor lunged forward to clutch his desk, close to tumbling from his pile of phonebooks. He breathed heavily for a few seconds as he shifted himself to settle back onto his stack. Finally he looked up at his son, who looked equally shaken, and snapped: "WHAT?"

"I need handcuffs!" Harris spat. "Quick!"

"You should be carrying handcuffs!" the Mayor scolded.

"But you know I don't really need them around here!" Harris yelled at him. He paused. "Well, except for today."

With a sigh, the Mayor pulled his desk drawer open. Once he sifted through the pile of coloring books, he found the cuffs.

"Here, son," he said, throwing the cuffs to Harris. And it seemed as soon as he caught them, he left. With that, the Mayor turned to his bucket of Legos, muttering: "Finally."

Meanwhile, Harris darted down Julia Street, brushing past a sullen-looking boy with a trucker hat and a bespectacled, short girl in a white jacket and a navy skirt. As he passed the Vineyard, Duke gave him a thumbs-up from the yard and called:

"Get that pyro, Harris!"

The huge wooden sign reading "Strawberry Fields" came into view, high over the rest of the farm. Harris passed Makoto's small house, turned the corner at the silo, and caught sight of the tall, lanky figure standing by the section of the fields set ablaze.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, BUCKO!" Harris shouted. The figure turned to see him with widened eyes as he clomped through the melting snow. Once he reached him, he jerked his arm and clamped the cuffs around his wrists. "Makoto, you're under arrest!"

Makoto arched an eyebrow until it ventured under his unruly mop of light brown hair. He looked down at Harris, either wondering how he grew taller than the cop or what the commotion was about.

"Why?" he finally asked in his deadpan voice.

"Because! According to the Mineral Town law book…" Harris began, glaring at him, "Section 4F- it is illegal have open fires on any property within the town limit, public or private." He nodded firmly.

"Isn't there a bonfire tomorrow?" Makoto asked.

"You can't have a fire without permission from my dad…" He cleared his throat. "I mean, Mayor Thomas."

"Okay," Makoto said. "Could I ask Mayor Thomas if I could burn stuff?" When Harris said nothing, Makoto continued:arris "It's a farming technique," he explained. "I read about it in the old man's diary."

"But he never did that," Harris replied.

"Yeah, I hear it's illegal," Makoto capped. Harris nodded, but then shook his head.

"That's what I'm telling you!" Harris told him. "It's a crime punishable by law! So get this into your head. According to the law book, you must be stoned!"

"No, I don't do pot," Makoto told him. Harris shook his head, letting something of a growl loose.

"No, you will be crushed by stones," he explained. "It'll be the feature of this year's New Year's Eve festival."

"Then I guess I'll stay home and watch the Honeymooners marathon," Makoto said. "Besides. That's a little dated a punishment. And gratuitous." He caught a glimpse at Harris's reaction, complete with another noise between a growl and a groan.

"Just come with me to jail," Harris told him. "We'll have to kick down the door of the Seaside Lounge, though."

Makoto nodded.

"Okay," he said. He motioned with his head to a hose rolled up on the side of the barn. "But can you get that hose first?"

With a look at the hose, Harris gave Makoto a nod.

"Sure thing," he told him, and as he walked off, he muttered: "Wacko."

xXxX

With the fire hastily extinguished and the felon left sitting in the Seaside Lounge, Harris made his way to the bar for an afternoon drink. He took his cap off and set it beside him on the polished wooden countertop. Finally, Doug came up to him with a cup of whiskey and ice.

"Thanks, Doug," Harris said, handing him a few gold coins as tip. He tossed the liquid down his throat, and said once he finished: "Needed that today."

"Rough day?" Doug asked as he cleaned glasses with a kitchen rag. Harris nodded.

"Makoto was burning his farm."

The few people in the Inn turned their attention to the cop as they muttered things to themselves or cried out in surprise. Doug stared with an arched eyebrow as he let a whistle escape his lips.

"That's a doozie," he finally replied, sure to keep his eyes on Harris's glass. "'Nother hit?"

"Sure, whatever," Harris replied as he leaned his face on his elbow and held up his glass with a lopsided smile. "It's New Years, after all."

xXxX

Makoto stood alone in the Seaside Lounge and ran his gray eyes along the pictures adorning the wall. People he recognized, and many he didn't, all stared back at him as he moved to look at all of them. Finally, one picture in front of him caught his eye. He looked at the image of the man, and then read the golden plate screwed onto the wooden frame.

'In Memory of Joseph "Jojo" Jogolovich

You are loved by all and will be dearly missed.'

He looked up at the face of the older man, eased by the warm eyes as they looked back at him. Joe's smile seemed reserved, his face lit from the sun, his complexion unnaturally tanned, and his build big and powerful. Makoto felt like the old man could step out of the frame and tower over the town once again with his usual smile settled on his face. But as Makoto kept staring, running his focus from the corners of Joe's eyes, he discerned a glint of sadness in the pools of blue. He looked like the loneliest man in Mineral Town, or at least as Makoto thought.

But distraction came with the scraping of someone's shoes at the doorway.


	2. Puzzlin' Evidence

Strawberry Fields- **The Musical**

**So, I managed to find my way back... and with a new chapter. Enjoy!**

XxXxXx

When the townsfolk gathered in Rose Square for the New Year's Eve Festival, all they could discuss was the fire at Strawberry Fields. With every new comment, the theories behind Makoto's actions grew wilder. They knew something had to be wrong with him.

"Complete irresponsibility!" Duke chorused. From his side, Manna beckoned him to keep his head cool since he suffered from a heart attack the previous fall. Duke finally muttered something in her direction, then went on to say: "But my point's still valid."

"I know, Honey," Manna replied, stroking his arm. Duke grunted, mumbling something about the pet name as Manna continued. "But he would've burnt down the whole farm if Harris didn't catch him!" From the outskirts of the crowd, Harris beamed and puffed out his chest, knowing at least a few people turned their focus to find him.

"He must have been spaced out," another woman declared. "Definitely not normal." In the fashion of the exchange of gossip, everyone around her nodded in agreement. Then the chatter once again flared.

"Drugs!" someone else asserted. "He had to have been messed up on something."

"It sounds logical," a third person chimed. As the clamor continued, a girl with resolute eyes made her way to the crowd. Everyone else was too engrossed in the gossip to notice her, until she jumped into a brief gap of silence.

"You're all wrong," she told them, snagging their attention. Everyone waited for her to continue, ready to retort. "Makoto's not irresponsible--" She cut a dirty look at the person who suggested Makoto was on drugs. "Or on drugs. Besides, he knows what he's doing on the farm by now."

"You're the one who's wrong, Elli!" Duke shot back, ignoring Manna's tug on his arm. "Obviously he doesn't if he's got the place on fire!"

"He was only burning the soil," Elli cooly told him. "It's a technique he read about that farmers always use to replenish the minerals in the soil." But Duke just rolled his eyes and groaned. With that, Elli took her opening and faced everyone else. "And the whole drug assumption's just completely illogical," she capped.

"C'mon," Duke piped up again. "You're just defending him because you're his girlfriend." All eyes volleyed back to Elli as more comments rose up from the crowd about his argument.

"I'm defending him because you're making ridiculous assumptions," she said. But when the clamor rose up again, she knew what she had to do.

XxXxXx

Makoto spun around at the sound of someone's shoes grazing the wooden floor. Judging from the sound of the step, he knew it had to be a girl. He groaned and silently muttered her name. Then he spun around to meet Elli.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his face in a frown. With that, Elli came up to him and tugged his cuffed hands.

"C'mon," she said, attempting to encourage him to walk. "The whole town's going crazy over what you did. They have no idea what really happened. You've got to straighten this out." She tried tugging him again, but he kept his feet planted.

"No," Makoto said. "I'm not going."

"But you've got to," Elli insisted, giving him another pull.

"No I don't!" Makoto snapped, yanking his hands from hers and turning to the wall. "Because apparently they're right and I'm wrong." He gave her a cutting glare. "I got the burning idea from the old man. If he's wrong, then I don't give a shit about what right is anymore."

"But Makoto--"

"But nothing!" Makoto snapped. With that, he threw himself into a chair, his hands in his lap. He continued to watch her, knowing she would come up with something new to say.

"You're just angry, Makoto," she told him. He let out a groan. "But you can do something about this," she continued "We can go together and work it out with the rest of the villagers."

"No," Makoto replied. "I'm going to be a good little felon and sit here."

"You've got to stand up for yourself," Elli told him. "You knew what you were doing."

"I know," Makoto said. "But if they don't see that, then I give up with dealing with them."

"But if you leave things the way they are, you're sure to be ousted come two years," Elli pointed out. Makoto let out another frustrated groan.

"Fine," he said. "They can do what they want. I won't go anywhere."

"And then live here with everyone against you?" Elli asked. "You'll be miserable."

"I already am," Makoto deadpanned.

"Then do something about it," Elli told him, almost pleading. Makoto cut her another glare in reply. Elli watched, waiting for him to do something.

"You know," he finally said. "I wonder how they found out." A baffled look took over Elli's face. "Seeing as you're the only one I told."

"Don't be ridiculous, Makoto," Elli replied, not humored.

"You're one to talk," Makoto told her. "You should just lay off already. It's no use carrying on."

"But--"

"My mind's made up. I don't need your help!" Makoto shot. His words resonated in the air as he stared her down. With a huff, he took his eyes off her. For that moment as Elli fumed behind a poker face, he didn't say anything else. After the silence drew on long enough, she turned from him.

He decided to steal a glance at the doorway, and sure enough, Elli had left. With that, he turned and slumped over the table.

No more than a few minutes later, Officer Harris jerked Makoto out of a daze with a pound on the door frame. Makoto gave him a cock-eyed glare, but turned back to the table before he could be accused of shooting dirty looks.

"Alright," Harris said from the door. "The townsfolk want to see you."

Resigned, Makoto rose to follow Harris out the door.

XxXxXx

Duke broke off the conversation with his wife and shot Makoto a disapproving stare.

"Wait a minute," he said upon hearing that Duke and Manna's speculations on Makoto's motives. "Is everything I do on Strawberry Fields really the town's business?"

Duke turned to him and rolled his eyes.

"Of course it is!" he replied. "We should know everything you're doing there!" With a sneer, he narrowed his eyes. "That's why you're on trial."

Makoto let out a frustrated sigh.

"You broke the law," Harris reprimanded, stepping in from a group of people. "Besides, how do we know if you know what you're doing or not? You've only been farming for a year, yet you took that risk." He groaned. "That illegal risk could've cost you Strawberry Fields!"

"I followed the journal exactly," Makoto retorted. "The old man did the same thing."

"No, he didn't," Harris told him.

"You honestly don't know that," Makoto replied. "He wrote it in the journal."

But Harris shook his head.

"I refuse to believe you," he insisted. "The old man never kept secrets from us."

"You don't even know how he managed his farm, so how can you assume that?" Makoto shot

"Enough!" Harris snapped, even beating Duke to arguing with Makoto. Makoto backed up from Harris, silently fuming. "Gripe all you want, Ogawa. You still have to abide by the law."

"But from the punishment, it sounds like that law was written in witch hunt times," Makoto said. Harris gritted his teeth as he grew irate.

"1800s, actually," the constable told him, doing his best not to snap. By that point, more people began gathering in the town square and flocking around the two.

"For what?" Makoto asked. "So people wouldn't burn down any more buildings in the Civil War?"

Harris looked confused. He shook his head furiously, and replied: "That's not the point, Makoto."

"Listen," Makoto deadpanned. "I'm getting to the point where I've got a handle on my work. I don't need people all over me telling me what I can and can't do." A few gasps rose up in the crowd. Eyes volleyed from Harris to Makoto by that point, and murmurs bounced between everyone.

"I wouldn't be acting like that when all those tips you're getting are Jojo's," Duke huffed. He pushed his face up to Makoto's. "And not yours."

"I plenty trust the old man's methods, and that's all that matters," Makoto retorted, standing his ground. "His way works."

Harris didn't seem to care.

"So, since all the heavy rocks are up in the mountains, you'll have to go up there to get stoned," Harris explained to Makoto.

"I already told you, I have no plans on getting baked," Makoto replied.

"Stoned!" Harris corrected. "Doug doesn't want people in his oven, anyway. You're getting stoned."

"Blazed," Makoto suggested with a deadpan drawl. Harris growled as he shook his head.

"Ogawa!" he snapped in realization. "You told that joke already!"

"That's 'cause I'm lame," Makoto replied with a suppressed smirk. He formed a quadrilateral with his fingers and held it up to Harris.

"Little smartass is what he is," Duke commented, jerking his thumb at Makoto. Makoto nodded proudly.

"I sure am," he said. With that, Harris rolled his eyes.

"Anyway I can't stone you, because no one feels like cleaning up a mess," Harris capped. "And that scene in the Crucible freaked me out some."

"Glad we came to an agreement," Makoto said. With that, he took Harris' hand into a firm handshake.

"No we haven't," Harris told him. "You need to do more community service."

"Since when?" Makoto asked, his face in a frown. But he knew Duke planned on bringing up the incident when Harris found missing bottles from the winery at Strawberry Fields.

"Since last summer," Duke cut in. "When you stole my wine." Makoto groaned.

"We later agreed with every subsequent offense, you'd be subjected to three weeks community service," Harris informed Makoto, drawing a sigh out of him.

"But I have a lot of work to do this Spring," Makoto argued. "I bought a lot of seeds, I'll have a full barn and coop soon, and my house needs a lot of work."

"And it'll keep you in town too," Duke added obliviously. "Something you need to start doing." He rolled his eyes. "Burning your farm, Makoto. I can't believe you."

"Duke," Makoto said. "I wasn't burning my farm. I know you're thick, but…"

"That's what Harris said," Duke informed him nonchalantly. He didn't initially pay attention to the boy's unpleasant reaction until he caught sight of his eyes. Then everyone noticed as a furious flame burned through the grey, and a few gasps escaped when he spun to stab Harris with his glare.

"You lied!" Makoto growled. "I was only burning the soil, and you know it!" He stared Harris down, seemingly taller than before in everyone else's eyes. Confused looks whizzed about the town square along with the whispers.

"I've never seen him this angry," someone said.

"He means it," someone else chimed in.

Harris had no idea what to say. When all eyes fell upon him, he stepped in and drew out his accusing finger, but just hung on the verge of verbal retaliation. Makoto stood his ground, readying himself in case Harris had more ammunition.

"That's enough!" the Mayor finally declared, grabbing attention from everyone. "Harris, I want you to get one of them hand-held saws from Saibara's shop to cut the cuffs when I'm done." He watched his son groan. "You've taken this way too far. Makoto has every right to our trust. We know by now that he wouldn't cause trouble like that. You just dug up that old law as some kind of excuse because you're always feeling like you don't do anything around here." He paused. "And if you feel that way, son, I could always see if Zack will let you take on the mail route around here."

Then he turned to Makoto.

"Now, I agree with Duke when he says the community service will do you well," he said. "But I'll make sure it's not too big of a deal. Still, I just want you to learn your lesson."

Makoto arched an eyebrow.

"What would that be?" he asked. The Mayor chuckled.

"Just to make sure you're not by yourself there all season," he assured him. With that, Makoto nodded.

"I can handle that.'

"Then the villagers turned their focus in anticipation upon Harris. The constable looked remorseful enough as he turned from their beacon-like eyes to face Makoto. "Listen, Makoto. "I'm sorry for what I did. It was immature of me." He let his head hang with a sigh.

The villagers turned to Makoto next, who seemed like he was back to his regular, poker-faced self.

"Don't worry so much about it," Makoto told him. "No hard feelings?" With that, he offered his hand. Harris nodded, and took his hand with the best firm shake he could give it, as Makoto had to pull some kind of contortionist act.

"Deal," he said.

XxXxXx

Later on, Makoto sat on the bench while the Mayor stood in front of him, wielding a saw bigger than his arm. Makoto did his best not to look nervous, but the Mayor didn't seem to have much skill with the saw. Thankfully for Makoto, the Mayor only had one side left to saw.

"Do I owe anything for the cuffs?" Makoto asked. The Mayor stared at him incredulously.

"No way!" he said. Makoto flinched when the Mayor almost cut him, but the Mayor didn't seem to notice. Finally, the other side of the cuffs broke. Makoto slipped off the metal, and looked his barely scathed wrist up and down.

"Thanks, Mayor Thomas," he said.

"Not at all, Makoto," the Mayor replied. With that, he reached out and patted his elbow. "Well, you take care now." But Makoto only replied with an absent-minded nod. Baffled, the Mayor took a look at his dreamy gaze. Finally, he decided just to part with a tip of his hat and leave Makoto to his staring.

Makoto scrambled up from the seat and made his way over to Elli. She glanced at him, but turned away when she saw him approaching.

"Elli," Makoto began. Elli turned back to him.

"Don't talk to me right now, Makoto," she said. "I'm still smarting from what you said earlier."

"I'm sorry," Makoto said. "I don't know what came over me."

"You know, you were nicer when you were quiet," Elli told him. "Because if you said it, you must've felt it."

"You've got it all wrong," Makoto insisted. But Elli wouldn't hear any more of it. Instead, she left. Makoto didn't even notice as a few people turned to watch him stare remorsefully at her.

"Fine," he called, loud enough for her to hear. "Be that way." Then he turned and walked away without caring who heard or stared.

XxXxXx

**Hope you guys enjoyed that one. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who gave Strawberry Fields a go. I'm glad that my idea worked out as I wanted... well, I think it did so far. So now, shout-outs to people who read, and to the reviewers- Extra thanks!**

**EvanescentShadow- Yup. Knowing you're a huge reader of In My Life, I'm glad you're liking this idea too. I can't wait to delve into all the other characters, actually. Thanks!**

**K4C- Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks! I put a lot of hard work into the characters, so I'm glad it went over well. Hopefully, I can keep up the good work. I've gotta catch up with AMPR now**

**PVC- What can I say? I feel honored that you got a kick out of Chapter 1. Thanks for reading! **

**K.W.Lycan- It's cool to see you back here too, along with EvanescentShadow. Glad you like this too. Thanks a lot.**

**Until next time!**


	3. How Kind Of You

Strawberry Fields- **Robbing song titles from Paul McCartney's new album**

**I know, I know. It's been a while. Well, I hope you enjoy it. **

XxXxXx

Makoto slammed the door shut behind him as he trudged tiredly into his dark house late that night. Once he flicked on the light, he noticed his tan-and-white mutt staring up at him curiously next to the couch. The dog seemed to know something was wrong.

"You'll understand when you deal with women, Ein," Makoto told him as he walked past him and into the kitchen. He pulled open his fridge and yanked out a bottle of water. Ein still stared at him as he walked back into his living room and threw himself on the couch. He picked up the remote from the arm of the couch and flipped on the television to the Honeymooner's marathon.

"One of these days, Alice! One of these days!" Ralph Cramden growled through the tinny-sounding T.V speaker as he shook his fist at his wife. "Bang! Zoom! Straight to the moon!"

But Makoto couldn't stay focused on the show. Everything he said to Elli in the past day drifted back to his mind, bringing along his lament. He thought she wouldn't be losing sleep over their argument, but knew he'd soon go without much sleep for days. As the dialogue and images from the show drifted away from him, the scene of their argument became clearer.

Elli tried her best to help, but Makoto wouldn't see that. His outburst towards her bothered him more and more. After a while, he realized he should give her some time before attempting another apology. He drifted to sleep with that thought.

XxXxXx

"One of these days, Alice! One of these days!" Ralph Cramden growled through the tinny-sounding T.V speaker. "Bang! Zoom! Straight to the moon!"

As he realized the strange new voice wasn't just part of his dreams, Makoto groggily stirred out of his sleep. The stiffness he felt in his neck as he dragged himself from the sofa reminded him never sleep with his head propped up on the armrest again. Groggily, he took notice to the old clock resting on top of the even older piano. Twenty past four.

Makoto stretched out his arms as he headed for the door. Sunrise hadn't come, so at least he would have plenty of time to get started on his farming chores.

XxXxXx

Many of the residents of Mineral Town waited on the highest peak for miles in anticipation of the first sunrise of the year. The rest of the townsfolk either battled hangovers or couldn't bring themselves to hike through Mother's Hill and up rocky peak. Down below, the town glowed pink in the early light.

The air grew warmer as the sun clambered higher, laying in the clouds picturesque hues of blue, pink, and gold. Soon enough... ... ...springtime.

XxXxXx

The town came alive again with the coming of Spring. Amidst the flowering flora and budding trees, people took to walking the cobblestone streets of town or meandering the trails of Mother's Hill. Ranchers let their animals out to enjoy the mild, sunny weather, watching the cows, sheep, and chickens as they talked by the fences about the livestock.

In Rose Square, the housewives chatted excitedly while passer-bys nonchalantly eavesdropped in fear of hearing any rumors concerning them. Meanwhile, Mayor Thomas hummed to himself as he posted the bulletins announcing the coming of the Spring Goddess festival, as some of the girls who saw the flyers afterwards griped about it.

Makoto threw a glance at the flyer as he passed the bulletin board. The festival ended up as a near-disaster for him the year before. He had never really known much about social etiquette, but the residents of Mineral Town held social events in high esteem.

Behind him, Manna piped up.

"You're gonna go with Elli this year, aren't you?" Manna chattered as she came up from behind, flanked by another housewife by the name of Sasha. Makoto tried replying, but Manna cut him off. "Since you are, of course, you've gotta learn to dance and dress in something other than a T-shirt and jeans."

"I like my clothes," Makoto said as he turned to face her.

"And what about your hair?" Sasha asked as she pointed to his shaggy mop-top. "You haven't cut it since you got here!"

"I like my hair, too," Makoto told her. But they weren't easily swayed.

"Unacceptable!" Manna declared.

"We have to clean you up before the festival!" Sasha chimed in.

"Let's do it now!" Manna suggested eagerly. The two exchanged devious smiles, perhaps communicating their plans psychically. Makoto cowered in their presence, even if he towered over them.

"Can we at least leave my hair alone?" he asked sheepishly.

"No!' the housewives declared. Makoto sighed.

"Then can we postpone this until I have time to accidentally lock myself in the chicken coop?"

"No!" With that, Manna and Sasha each grabbed one of Makoto's arms and dragged him in the direction of Sasha's house, chatting about how long his hair should be and what he could wear to the Goddess Festival. From a lawn chair in the yard, Karen looked up from her magazine and watched Makoto with a smirk on her face.

"Are you getting a makeover, Mackie?" she asked Makoto as he passed. He grumbled and flipped her the bird long enough to avoid a slap to the back of the head for about five seconds.

"What kind of gentleman does that?" Sasha demanded, staring down Makoto with her green eyes. Manna reinforced the stare from behind her.

"Ahhh... Mom!" Karen called. "You weren't supposed to notice! I was supposed to retort sarcastically!" With that, she returned to her magazine.

XxXxXx

Once inside Sasha's house, the women sat Makoto down in front of the bathroom mirror. Makoto imagined the women at one time had sleep overs and crowded into a bathroom to do each other's hair. He cursed his luck.

"How about we cut it to here?" Manna asked Sasha as she made a cutting motion with her fingers along the top of Makoto's forehead.

"No," Makoto protested. "I've had my hair like that all through school."

"But it'd look so nice!" Manna insisted.

"I'm keeping my mop," Makoto told her.

"That style's been out since the sixties," Sasha told him.

"Actually, I think it's in again. Aja calls it mod," Manna said, in reference to her daughter. "But she came back from racing season looking pretty silly herself."

"I don't look silly," Makoto cut in. But as usual, Manna carried the conversation into another direction.

"...And one day, me and Duke caught her without her hat, and she had red and purple hair!" Sasha seemed a bit shocked. "It looks kind of cute," Manna continued, "but it's weird, still. I really don't understand why she wanted to do that to her pretty hair! And now, I have no idea how to fix it before the Goddess Festival"

"Ooh!" Sasha suddenly cooed. Makoto realized by then that she was feeling his hair. "He's got nice hair!"

"Ummm..." Makoto began. "Thanks?"

"Ooh!" Manna exclaimed, picking up pieces of Makoto's hair and letting them flutter back. "I wish I had hair this nice! Too bad we have to cut it." With that, she held up the scissors and made two cutting motions.

Makoto groaned. "Goodbye, hair," he muttered as Manna started snipping away his locks.

Surprisingly, Manna left it on the long side. Sasha nodded, impressed at Makoto's looks. Makoto eyed his haircut in the mirror blankly.

"How do you like it?" Manna asked obliviously, proud of her work. Makoto took a moment before answering.

"Tell you the truth, I didn't think I'd like it," Makoto replied. He frowned. "But next time, I don't wanna be kidnapped."

"Just you watch your back," Manna told him.

"Or your hair," Sasha added.

XxXxXx

"Cute cut," Karen cooed as soon as Makoto stepped outside. Makoto rolled his eyes.

"Little cold to be out on a lawn chair?" he asked her.

"It's warmer than yesterday," she replied. Silence hung around after that, until Karen piped up again. "I heard you and Elli had a spat yesterday."

"Yeah," Makoto replied. "I'm going to apologize today. Hopefully she'll be over it."

"Men," Karen commented. Makoto arched an eyebrow, and then groaned.

"Women," he shot back with a half-smirk. When Karen shot him a dirty look, he said: "That's all you say when us guys do something wrong."

"What do you want? It's a known fact guys are jerks," Karen teased with lopsided smile.

"That's how your sort thinks," Makoto told her.

Karen flipped her long, highlighted hair. "What 'sort'?" she smirked.

"Your sort," Makoto repeated. Meanwhile, a lean, ponytailed boy in worn earth-toned clothes waved at Karen and Makoto. He made his way up from the direction of the nearby church, and greeted the two once he came closer.

"Hi, Cliff," Karen replied. Makoto acknowledged him with a nod. With that, Cliff chuckled at Karen.

"Women are a strange sort," he commented with a smile. Then he added. "Yeah, I heard you guys, so I had to say something."

Makoto smirked at Karen. "See?" he asked her. "I'm not the only one who thinks so."

"Doesn't matter," Karen told him. "It's just how _your_ sort thinks." She paused, musing on her next thought. "Anyway, I think if you want to talk to her, you should head over soon."

"Right," Makoto said.

"You're gonna go apologize to Elli?" Cliff asked. Makoto looked over at him, eyebrows arched. Karen read his expression, and piped up.

"Word gets around fast," she told Makoto. "If you don't know that by now..." Makoto shrugged at that, not sure what to say.

"Go for it, Mackie," Cliff said as he clapped Makoto on the arm.

"I will," Makoto replied. "I've got to do this." Cliff and Karen swapped smirks, and soon broke out into snickers. Finally, Karen turned back to Makoto and said:

"Well, I'm glad it's a big change from last year's Makoto."

"What?" Cliff piped up. "The... ummm... 'I-can't-tell-Elli-how-I-feel-so-I'd-rather-just-sulk-without-even-trying' Makoto?"

Karen snickered. "Yeah. That's about right," she replied.

"I got over it, didn't I?" Makoto asked. The other two exchanged smirks for a good moment. Once they broke out in laughter, Makoto glared at them.

Karen finally regained her cool. "After _how_ much prodding from us?" she added.

"Okay, fine," Makoto grumbled. "I got by with a little help from my friends. And I'm thankful for it." Karen looked a little surprised at his gratitude. "Anyway," Makoto continued. "I've gotta go."

"See you later, then," Cliff said. Karen waved goodbye. With that, Makoto walked off Karen's lawn and down the cobblestone road to the next building, Mineral Clinic.

He stood outside for a moment, watching the two-story building loom over him. Westward, the reddening sun told him it was about four o'clock. Since Elli would be finishing up her work by then, it seemed like the perfect time to talk to her. After a sigh to try and calm his nerves, he headed for the door.

Inside the sterile-looking lobby, a young man in a lab coat with dark, uncombed hair leaned over the counter as he filled out some kind of form. Makoto held his words until the Doctor glanced up at him.

"Hi, Doctor," Makoto said.

"Hello, Makoto," the Doctor replied as he finished the last line. He put his pen down and faced Makoto. "Do you need something?"

Makoto hesitated. "Is Elli around?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

For a split second, the Doctor's heart skipped at the mention of her name, and the response showed as the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. He faked a cough, turning away from Makoto for a moment. "Sorry," he mumbled, poker faced again. "She's getting something from upstairs."

"Okay," Makoto told him.

"Just wait right here," the Doctor added. With that, he picked up the form and headed for his office. Makoto glanced at the waiting area's plush chairs, but felt too tense to want to sit. The few moments felt much longer than they should have. Every time Makoto thought he heard the silence punctured by footsteps from the top of the stairs, he turned to see that Elli wasn't there.

Finally, the short-haired brunette did come down the stairs. As Makoto watched, he barred his nervousness from manifesting on his face. But he had no idea what to say once they came face to face.

"Hi, Makoto," Elli said, nothing short of cordial, but nothing more. At least Makoto didn't have to start the conversation, as he thought.

"Hi," he managed to say. She waited patiently for him to speak. "Listen," Makoto began in a hushed voice, watching her eyes. "I know I have to do more than apologize for what I said to you yesterday, but I don't know how to say it." All I know is I didn't mean to hurt you." He paused, waiting for her to speak.

"But you did hurt me, Makoto," Elli told him solemnly, turning her eyes from him.

"I was just angry over what's been happening to me," Makoto told her. "I'm sick of being treated the way I am in town. I know a lot of it's because of me, but I'm willing to change, and no one sees that."

Elli looked up at him, sadness in her expression.

"But that's because you have to change and not keep talking about it," she told him. "You need to grow up."

"I thought you supported me," Makoto said, keeping his voice low.

"I do," Elli told him. "Of course I do. I've been wanting to stick with you from the beginning, and I thought you pushing me away was just a phase that you got over."

"I'm not used to people helping me," Makoto told her. "I've always been a loner. Coming here was really the first time I made friends. And then there's you." He paused, gazing into her eyes. "I never dreamed of feeling about anyone the way I do about you."

He let out a long sigh.

"But you're right," he said. "I've hurt you enough, and I don't want to do it again. I want you to be treated like you deserve." With that, he turned for the door, leaving Elli baffled. Before he left, he said: "Thanks for everything."

Elli watched him go, not knowing what to say or to do next. Something told her he needed the time to himself. That rationale won over the side of her that urged her to run after him and convince him to change his mind.

XxXxXx

"One of these days, Alice! One of these days!" Ralph Cramden growled through the tinny-sounding T.V speaker as he shook his fist at his wife. "Bang! Zoom! Straight to the moon!"

The dialogue from the sitcom gradually became ambivalent babble as the thoughts of Elli dominated Makoto's mind. His better side told him it was the wrong thing to keep her at a distance, but his worse side won.

XxXxXx

**So, there you have it. Within the events of the chapter, I took the opportunity for some set-up, too. Anyway, thanks to the folks that read and/or reviewed the last chapter. Glad to see Terra and Lemurian, two more familiar faces, as well. I hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it. **

**Until next time.**


	4. Girls And Guys

Strawberry Fields- **Dead Parrot Sketch Not Included**

**School eats time. I think. Hope you enjoy the chapter. It's a double-lengther, so it's kinda like I wrote two chapters over this time. :D**

xXxX

Elli was busy with her paperwork during a quiet morning at the clinic. Of course, things didn't stay quiet when Karen burst through the door.

"You know what today is!" she exclaimed, immediately making her way towards the reception desk. Elli looked up and gave her a lopsided smile.

"Saturday?" she suggested playfully. Karen feigned frustration with a smirk and a roll of her eyes.

"Well, that, and...?"

Elli briefly counted on her fingers. "Fifteen more days until my birthday," she quipped. Karen mock-rolled her eyes, knowing Elli's sense of humor.

"And it's our first day to practice the routine," she told Elli. With a furrowed brow, Elli looked down at her calendar briefly, and then looked back up with a sheepish half-grin.

"I'm sorry. I forgot," she admitted. Karen shrugged. "But it's a workday," Elli added.

Almost on cue, the Doctor stepped out of his office. He impassively greeted Karen on his way to Elli's desk. Cooly, he leaned his elbow on the countertop.

"You can go if you want today," he told Elli. When Elli looked at him incredulously, he tiredly shrugged and added: "There's no work around right now anyway."

"The memos?" Elli asked. The Doctor shook his head.

"Done," he replied. "You finished them." Elli pondered her work again.

"How about the order for...?"

"You did that too," the Doctor told her. With that, he pointed at the door. "Go on." And then he headed back for his office, leaving Elli with nothing more to do than follow Karen outside.

xXxX

None of the girls ever seem too thrilled with the idea of practicing that dance routine under Karen's autocratic rule. Every year, Karen found herself tracking down the girls so she could rope them into taking the trek up to Mother's Hill. They each fumbled for an excuse every time, but Karen always got her way. Still, the excuses became lamer each year, except Elli's. She always immediately surrendered.

"I don't know why everyone always has to give me a hard time," Karen sighed as she waited with Elli outside the Inn for Doug's daughter, Ann. Elli idly shrugged, and casually listened to the squabble inside the Inn.

"Maybe they take pleasure in teasing you," she suggested as a coffee mug crashed to the floor inside the Inn. Then, when Ann cursed out her father for the fifth or sixth time that morning, Elli added: "Ann can sure put up a fight."

"I'm half ready to drag her out myself," Karen grumbled as she slumped her back onto the wall. "I don't want this to turn out like last year... getting it together at the last minute and stressing out the whole morning of the festival..."

"Hey, if it sucks this year, how about we just call it interpretive dance?" Elli offered. She looked to Karen, who rolled her eyes again.

"Brilliant," Karen retorted sarcastically. Silence fell over them after that as Elli went back to listening to the father-daughter fight raging in the Inn. She snickered and noted aloud that Ann was losing.

Karen looked over at her. "So, Elli, tell me," she began.

"Yes?" Elli asked, her attention peaked.

"Oh, I was just wondering," Karen continued. "How'd it go with Makoto yesterday?" When she noticed the frustration in Elli's expression, her face fell. "Oh..."

"Ugh... don't ask..." Elli moaned. "He broke up with me."

"_What_?" Karen asked. When Elli nodded, Karen added: "You've gotta be kidding me."

"I wish I was," Elli said as casually as she could. With a sigh, Karen nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Men," she groaned as Ann finally stormed out of the Inn with a sulky 'G'morning'. Karen stood back with Elli as Ann walked ahead of them. Elli still looked upset, but not as shook up as Karen expected. They headed in the direction of the next stop, the library, in a silence broken by occasional small talk.

xXxX

Between the blooming flora and the decorations for the Goddess Festival, Mineral Town began looking a lot more colorful. Volunteering townsfolk worked diligently in Rose Square. And as the date drew closer, the local boys had no luck finding the girls, as they spent most of their time practicing.

A few of the boys slumped around the table at the Inn one evening, including Makoto and Cliff. Across from them sat Rick, a skinny, bespectacled boy, and Gray, a sullen boy hiding under the shade of his trucker hat.

"Ann ditched me again today," Cliff huffed. After he finished a swig of beer, he noticed Rick nodding.

"Karen too," he chimed in. "I wanted to have lunch with her today, but she was busy." He mused on the thought and glumly added: "That's nothing unusual, though."

"Where'dya think the girls are always headed off to?" Cliff asked.

"Practicing for their dance at the Goddess Festival," Rick told him. "But they always want to keep practices a secret."

Cliff let out a chuckle. "That's no fun," he said. "What are they afraid of?" With that, Rick looked over his shoulders quickly, and then leaned closer. The other boys followed suit.

"They're afraid of us knowing where their practices are because none of them can dance," Rick whispered. "Save for Karen, of course." He leaned back. "She's always fretting at this time of year."

"I thought they did well last year," Makoto commented flatly.

"They practiced a lot," Rick told him.

After a brief silence, Cliff piped up. "You know what I say?" He paused and looked for an answer, but the other boys just shook their heads. "I say we can find out where they are all day and stake them out."

"Mother's Hill," Gray said. When everyone else looked over at him in disbelief, he added: "Mary mentioned it."

"Then we should go," Cliff said enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" Rick chimed in as he clapped his fist into his palm. "Ever since the girls started doing this dance, they've always kept their plans under wraps like it was some kind of secret mission or something."

"I bet they have orgies," Cliff said.

"Yeah!" Rick added. Then he did a double-take, furrowed his brow, and mumbled: "Wait... _What_?"

"Naked orgies!" Cliff added obliviously. "In the hot spring." Gray stared at Cliff incredulously after that one, and Makoto arched his eyebrow in mild interest.

After a moment or two, Makoto piped up: "I'm sure they're just practicing," he told Cliff flatly. He mused on another thought, and then added: "We've all got stuff to do anyway."

Without a break, Rick deliberately coughed, nervously adjusted his glasses, and then gripped his mug. After that, the boys fell silent and opted to finish their drinks instead.

Then Cliff mumbled: "Well, I'm gonna go hunt for the girls during my break tomorrow. Who's in?" He looked to the boys hopefully.

"Gramps won't let me out of work for nothing," Gray muttered dourly as he sulked in the shade of his trucker hat. Cliff moaned and let out a sigh, and then stared at Gray incredulously for the next moment or so. Gray frowned.

"I'm out too," Makoto said. As he idly rattled off his list of chores, Cliff moaned again. "No time," Makoto capped.

Rick put his fingers to his chin in contemplation. After a moment, he piped up. "I guess I'll go," he said. "I'm usually free if I don't have to make deliveries."

"See that?" Cliff asked Makoto. "Rick pulled through for me. You'd rather ditch me on a girlie watch so you can hang around with housewives and help with their groceries, huh? Gonna have tea and gossip with them while you're at it?"

Makoto rolled his eyes at his pouting friend. "Yeah, and you're not invited," he muttered. Cliff groaned again as he gave Makoto a playful shove.

xXxX

The next day, Karen led the other girls through the flowery meadows of Mother's Hill. After a while, she finally found the spot; a clearing nestled in the shade from the canopy above.

"Here we are," Karen announced as the others filed into a semi circle around her and looked for comfortable sitting spots in the grass.

"After getting lost again," Elli told her as she passed.

Karen rolled her eyes at her before speaking. "Alright guys," she began as the last of the girls settled on the ground. The others watched her expectantly, waiting for her to make her annual speech. "We have to buckle down and get that dance right."

"We'll pull it together," Elli told her. "We always seem to."

"I dunno why it's such a big deal anyway," Ann said. "It's just some stuffy old tradition. We should get the Mayor to let us off." She groaned. "I'm sick of those crappy dresses, too."

Karen furrowed her brow at her. "That's not an option," she replied. But before she could continue, someone else piped up.

"I have such a hard time remembering it," A pink-haired girl named Popuri half-whined. Mary idly nodded in agreement as she finished cleaning her horn-rimmed glasses with a cloth. After carefully inspecting the lenses, she put them on again.

"Don't worry," Elli chimed in. "I have a tough time with it too. So you're not alone." Popuri smiled at that.

"I honestly can't say I remember how to do it either," Mary added, casting an embarrassed look over her glasses. Around that point, Karen's expression finished changing from barely optimistic to almost flustered. The other girls watched her for a moment, including Aja, who hid a few steps away from the rest of the group in the tall grass and fiddled idly with her mod skirt.

"Okay then," Karen finally said. "Let's get started." With that, she made a motion for all the girls to get up on their feet. As they finished brushing stray bits of grass and dirt from their clothes, Karen began demonstrating the dance. Of course, she made it look easier than it really was. "From the top," she announced once she finished.

Meanwhile, Cliff and Rick watched from their secret meeting spot, under the brush surrounding the clearing. Once Popuri fell, the boys broke out into sniggers they could barely restrain for a moment or two.

"See?" Cliff whispered to Rick. "I told you this was funny. I used to watch practices when girls were forced to dance at school."

Rick didn't shift focus from the girls. "My sister can't dance!" he added. With that, Cliff looked over as Popuri stumbled into another fall, but he wasn't too sure if Rick would let him laugh without bitching at him. Rick fell silent again as he watched Ann fall flat on her butt. "Neither can Ann!" he said.

"Oh, she makes up in other ways," Cliff said deviously. Rick didn't quite understand what Cliff meant, so he feigned obliviousness. Cliff returned to gawking at the girls, but no more than a minute later did Rick let loose a roaring sneeze.

"They'll hear us!" Cliff hissed. Embarrassed, Rick quickly murmured an apology.

But all it took was the sneeze for Karen to become suspicious. One-by-one, the girls stopped at her motion and began to follow her towards the bushes. As they crept closer, Cliff darted away and scrambled underneath the shrubs, leaving Rick petrified on his haunches.

"A-HA!" Karen exclaimed, sending a shock to Rick that made him lose his balance. Rick laid in the dirt for a moment, and Karen carried on. "What do you think you're doing spying on us?"

"You picked a bad hiding spot," Elli told Rick. With that, she pointed at the trail to the right. "Tell your cohort that we can see the path from here to your escape route."

"Cohort?" Karen asked.

"You think Rick would do this without some pressure?" Elli asked with a wry smile. Karen nodded with a mock expression. Then she sucked in a deep breath and yelled:

"CLIFF!"

Ann looked angry. "What makes you think it's Cliff?" she demanded. But to her dismay, Cliff dragged himself to his feet. By that time, Rick watched in fascination as he picked twigs and bits of dirt from his long hair.

"What gave you the idea you could watch us?" Karen huffed at Cliff. Cliff gave her a sheepish, lopsided smile as Ann and Popuri flanked her and reinforced her dirty stare with some of their own. When Rick thought the coast looked clear, he attempted a cautious step in the direction of his escape route. "Not so fast!" Karen snapped with a dirty glare reserved for him. Rick froze and gulped.

The silence became unbearable. Cliff kept looking from the three angry girls to the increasingly petrified Rick. Finally, Ann yelled: "Let's get 'em!"

With a scream, the boys took off, tailed closely by the girls. Elli, Mary, and Aja opted to stay behind and exchange wary looks. When Rick cried: "Wait for me, Cliff!", they burst out into stifled sniggers. After all, they couldn't miss the sight of Karen, Ann, and Popuri chasing Cliff and Rick into the next clearing.

xXxX

Meanwhile, Makoto's community service brought him to the Inn. Doug wasted no time handing Makoto a toilet brush and cleaning supplies before he led him to the back room.

Doug pushed open the bathroom door and motioned for Makoto to enter. "Here it is," he said as the boy slipped inside. "It's the yuking toilet."

"Oh, great," Makoto mumbled, impassively looking down at the toilet brush.

"Normally, Ann would do this," Doug explained. "But I'd be damned if she doesn't go to those damn dance practices." He mused on the thought. "You remember how crappy a dancer she is, right?"

Makoto tried, but he really couldn't remember the girls' dance exhibition from previous year's festival. Instead, he shrugged and said: "She doesn't seem like much of a dancer, anyway."

Doug patted Makoto on the back. "And you don't seem much like a slacker," he said. "So get to work. There's more to do after this." With that, he turned and headed out. Makoto looked at the toilet for a long moment afterwards, and let out something of a groan.

"This blows," he muttered to himself. With another groan, he brought himself to his knees and started scrubbing.

xXxX

After finishing all of Doug's chores, Makoto sulked back into the pub area of the Inn. Cliff looked up from his seat at his groaning friend with a sheepish grin. Makoto sank into the seat across from him at the table, looking nothing short of tired.

"Tsk tsk. I'm telling you..." Cliff said as he looked Makoto over. "You should've come on the girlie watch. We got them to chase us and everything. It was great!"

Makoto didn't look amused. "Felons don't learn anything if they're not required to fulfill their punishments," he said sardonically. Then he added: "But it's not so bad. It's just a season. Still..." He diverted his gaze. "I dunno."

"You'll get through it," Cliff assured him. For a moment, he fell silent. Makoto propped his elbow on the table and leaned his chin on his palm. "Let's get something to eat," Cliff continued. "I'm _starving_."

"Yeah, I bet from all that running you did when the girls found out you were spying on them," Makoto deadpanned. Cliff beamed.

"But it was fun." Cliff looked over Makoto's shoulder to make sure Ann wasn't around. "I'm going again tomorrow," he added in a low voice.

Makoto rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Have fun." he mumbled. "Idiot."

"Hey!" Cliff exclaimed. "What's that all about?"

"Only idiots get themselves into these situations when they know damn well they'll get themselves into trouble," Makoto blurted. When Cliff frowned at him, Makoto regretted saying it. He shook his head and moaned.

"Guess that makes you an idiot," Cliff replied with a smirk. When Makoto frowned at him, he continued. "What? You know you're digging a grave with Elli."

When Makoto slammed his hands on the table and shoved his face to meet Cliff's, Cliff just started back at him. A tense silence hung around after that; not even Doug or Ann said a word as they watched Makoto quietly stare down Cliff.

Finally, Makoto backed from Cliff and quietly collected his cool. After Makoto settled back into his seat, Cliff waited for a moment or two before he sat as well. Makoto kept a cutting glare fixed on his friend all the while.

"You think I want to mess up with her?" Makoto snarled. As Doug and Ann went back to their work, Cliff contemplated his answer. "Is something wrong?" Makoto pressed. "Tell me. What's on your mind?"

Cliff kept his eye on Makoto, but he stalled. Makoto leaned forward with an expectant expression. Finally, Cliff shook his head. "I know you're not going to like this, but it just seems you're..." His expression turned hard. "I dunno... I mean, I know you've got it tough, but you're taking out your anger on all your friends. And especially Elli." He turned to Makoto with a concerned look in his eyes. "You're mad because things didn't go the way you wanted with Elli."

"That's an understatement," Makoto muttered.

Cliff pressed his hands on the table top. "Set it right," he urged. "You gotta."

Makoto shook his head. "I can't do that," he sighed. "She doesn't want to know me anymore."

"So, you're giving up?" Cliff asked. "You can't do that." When he looked up, he noticed Makoto's strange expression. His lower lip quivered as he diverted his gaze. Finally, Cliff shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "Lemme buy you a drink. Maybe I went too far."

Makoto kept his eyes fixed on the table top as he struggled with his words. "I know you were trying to help me," he told Cliff.

When he didn't say anything after that, Cliff turned and scanned the room for Ann. Since Doug would be damned if he let anyone drink before seven, Cliff hoped Ann could sneak a few drafts without him taking notice.

xXxX

On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, Makoto found himself tied up with more community service. That time, he worked with Karen at her family's grocer, unpacking boxes and stocking the shelves. Karen's parents sat by the register, talking and drinking iced tea as they watched Karen finally work in the shop for the first time in weeks.

The crash of a glass bottle jarred their attention. Jeff looked sheepishly from the embarrassed Karen as she slapped her face into her palm, to the mess on the floor, and back to Karen.

"Karen!" Sasha scolded. "Be more careful next time!" With that, she pointed at a door and said: "Go get the mop now, honey." Makoto watched as Karen grumbled and headed for the door for a moment before turning back to his work. When she wheeled the bucket and the mop back to the shelf, Makoto said:

"Not watching what you're doing, huh?"

"Stuff it, farmer boy," Karen grumbled as she dumped the mop into the soapy water. She whipped her head around and flipped her unkempt hair out of her face as she worked, and kicked the glass pieces into a pile with her boot. When she glanced up at Makoto, he noticed something about her face.

"You look hung over," he said. Karen grumbled again.

"Rick troubles," she explained. Makoto nodded as he pulled more bottles from the box on the stool next to him. "What about you and Elli?" she asked. When Makoto gave her a quick, nasty glance, she continued. "Wait. Don't answer that. Why'd you break up with her?"

Makoto kept his focus on his work. "Here you are, having trouble with Rick, as usual, yet you're meddling in other people's problems."

"Answer me, Makoto," Karen pressed.

Makoto finished placing the last bottle on the shelf before he turned to her. "Fine," he said. "The answer is that I have my reasons." With that, he picked up the box at his side and folded it down flat.

"Reasons?" Karen asked. "What reasons?" When Makoto ignored her, she added: "You don't _have_ any reasons."

Makoto looked over her shoulder and at her parents. "Sorry about this conversation, Mr. and Mrs. Cardone," he said. When they turned their focus on him, he added: "Well... uhhh... I guess we probably shouldn't be talking about this here."

"Ahhh..." Jeff said, waving his hand. "Understandable." He liked to seem easy-going when he could. With that, he and Sasha returned to their conversation.

"You know I'm here to talk," Karen piped up. Makoto nodded at that as he opened the next box. When he didn't say anything, Karen let out a huff went back to cleaning the mess. They worked in silence for a while after that, and then Karen left to bring the mop and bucket back to the supply room. That was when the bell over the shop door jingled.

Once Jeff said: "Hey, good afternoon, Elli!" Makoto froze. The only good part, as he thought, was that Elli couldn't see him where he was, hiding behind the shelves.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Cardone," Makoto heard Elli say. There was a pause. "Here... let me pay off the Doctor's tab."

"Thank you," Sasha said kindly. Makoto didn't pay too much more attention to them and started placing boxes of rice onto the shelf. He wanted to talk to Elli, but he hadn't even seen her in days.

Eventually, he heard her make her way through the store and come closer. With a sigh, he placed the last box on the shelf and waited for her. She looked a bit sheepish, but she greeted him cordially: "Hey, Makoto."

"Hey," he said. He paused. "How's it going?"

"I'm okay," Elli replied with a shrug. "What about you?"

"Ehhh... okay," Makoto said. "Shopping?"

Elli nodded. "Yep. What brings you here?"

Makoto motioned with his head towards the shelves. "Community service," he said. She nodded at that. Silence hung around, as neither knew what to say. With that, Elli excused her self and headed down the aisle as Makoto watched. He let out a sigh, but didn't notice as she gazed over at him with a sigh of her own.

xXxX

Makoto made his way back home as the sky darkened somewhat and a few stars made their faint appearances. When Ein heard Makoto's footsteps coming up the wooden porch stairs, he stirred out of his sleep and bounded towards him.

"Good boy..." Makoto said as he got down on his knees to pet Ein. As he stood back up, he added: "Let's go make some dinner, Ein." Ein eagerly followed him up the stairs and into the house.

After Makoto ate, he decided he didn't feel like staying in the house. He couldn't find anything on TV, and felt restless. Instead, he sat out on the stoop leading up to his porch and stared up idly at the stars.

"Lookit that! He's waiting for us," a girl's voice called out from the gate. Makoto recognized Karen's voice and looked over at his guests, her and Cliff, as they made their way towards the house. He didn't have to ask why they were visiting.

Makoto arched an eyebrow. "What is this, a surprise party?" he cracked, noticing Karen concealed something from his view.

"Sort of a pow-wow, sort of a surprise party," Cliff answered with a lopsided smile as he ascended the stairs. "But there's no cake."

"You're not allowed until you bring cake," Makoto replied, his dark gaze betraying his humor. Cliff just chuckled in response. "I know what this is about," Makoto added, cutting Cliff off in mid-laugh and leaving him with a flustered expression.

"I brought something fun," Karen interjected, waving something concealed in a paper bag for Makoto to see. Makoto gave her a wry smile in return.

"Can't turn down something fun, I guess," he deadpanned. As he motioned for his friends to enter, he thought it better not to argue with them anymore. But he still felt a little uneasy. Aside from the occasional ten-minute visit from Cliff or Elli, no one really visited Makoto with the intention of staying and just hanging out.

Karen gazed around the house, seemingly impressed at seeing an unusually tidy bachelor's pad. Makoto kept his house as clean as possible.

"I know the place isn't big," Makoto said, "but make yourselves comfortable." Cliff beat him to that and sprawled out on the sofa like a bus-station bum. Makoto cut him a glare and said: "Not that comfortable."

"I like your couch," Cliff replied, turning away from Makoto. WIth a sigh, Makoto turned to Karen, who stared at the pictures on the wall intently.

"You still have all his things up..." she told him. Sure enough, she took notice of the ugly curtains and the peeling wallpaper. Turning back to Makoto, she said: "It's time you fixed this place up." When Makoto kept a cock-eyed glare fixed on her, she sighed. "Ahhhh..." she continued. "Never mind. Let's just get started on this." With that, she removed the tequila from the paper bag and placed it on the counter.

With a furrowed brow, Makoto asked:"Where the hell did you get that?" He picked up the bottle and examined the label. When he noticed something floating around at the bottom, he lifted the bottle up and groaned slightly at the sight of the bloated worm and its sunken eyes.

"You'd be surprised how wild my parents were in their day," Karen explained. Makoto and Cliff tried, but neither of them could imagine the stern Sasha or the meek Jeff as some kind of Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque boozing, partying duo. "They've got some stash leftover," Karen explained.

"Y'know, I always thought you were more the wino," Makoto stated flatly. Karen rolled her eyes at him.

"Shut up and get some glasses, Mackie. We're gonna have us some fun tonight." When Makoto looked up at her, she quickly added: "I figured you needed it,"

With that, he looked back at the tequila. He knew there had to be some reason why she wanted to knock back a bottle of the stuff, but he instead slumped wordlessly into the kitchen in search of those novelty shot glasses the old man left in the cabinet.

xXxX

Makoto knew he should have stopped Karen from her tequila rounds once he found himself clinging onto his toilet bowl for dear life. His head felt full again once he managed to lift it and slump it onto the adjacent wall, but he needed to regain his bearings.

Finally, he dragged himself to his feet, flushed the toilet, and trudged towards the sink. After he washed his hands, he looked up into the mirror. The sight of his pallid, sweaty face left him upset, but not so much as did his nausea. He thought he looked just as miserable as he felt.

With a groan, he let his forehead meet the mirror with a dull thud. Alcohol couldn't make things better, he thought, and it couldn't even alleviate his problems.

"Makoto?" Karen called from outside the bathroom. "You okay?" Makoto looked up from the mirror, and after checking his balance, he slowly walked out the bathroom door.

Karen watched him from the sofa. "You really can't handle your liquor, Mackie." she slurred. Makoto felt like he needed subtitles every time she spoke.

"I'm just sick," he deadpanned. "You're schhl..." He fumbled for the word. "Wasted."

"I hear ya," Cliff mumbled from the kitchen counter, his head propped on the overhead cabinets.

"Cliff!" Karen called. She dragged herself to her feet, told Makoto something along the lines of 'Keep your opinion to yourself', and headed over to the counter. Makoto watched as they mumbled something to each other. Whatever they spoke about, he didn't feel like lip-reading. Instead, he slumped onto the couch and watched them.

Cliff listened as Karen whispered something in his ear, and then shifted in his seat as Karen slipped onto his lap. Makoto furrowed his brow.

"Get Karen off your lap," Makoto told Cliff. "You have a girlfriend."

"Aww... don't be so uptight..." Cliff slurred as he wrapped his arms around Karen's waist.

"I'm serious, Cliff," Makoto said as he sat up. Even then, he could manage his cutting stare. But Cliff dismissed him with a laugh. "Stop it," Makoto commanded.

"We're just messin' 'round," Cliff replied. "Nothin' wrong or nothin'. I'll ask Ann t' join in nes'time." Makoto groaned and rolled his eyes at that. Then he turned from them and flopped himself back onto the sofa, sulking as he watched them with a hawk-eye. They didn't do anything except lean on each other and plant sloppy kisses on each other's cheeks, but in any case, Makoto didn't want them doing anything more.

After a few minutes, Karen slumped over Cliff's shoulder. "Mmm... mmm tired..." she mumbled.

"She's tired," Cliff repeated. Makoto flopped over and made his way to them, picking up Karen and cradling her. Then he walked towards his bedroom, kicked open the creaky door, and took her to his bed. Cliff slumped over the counter and watched as Makoto emerged a moment or two later.

Makoto briefly considered letting Cliff crash on the couch, but then thought better of it. "You should head back to the Inn," he told Cliff as he approached him. "Bad enough people are gonna probably jump all over Karen and me for her crashing here. I don't want you involved in it."

With that, he patted Cliff on the shoulder. Cliff nodded and dragged himself out of the seat and towards the door. He turned and sluggishly saluted Makoto, and then headed out into the night.

xXxX

Makoto dreaded opening his eyes early the next morning in fear of a brutal headache, but he knew he had to get up and start his farm chores. After he dragged himself off the sofa, he realized that he only felt groggy and sore, but not as terrible as he thought he'd feel. With a glance at the bedroom door, he wondered how Karen felt.

Figuring it was best not to disturb her, Makoto straightened his wrinkled T-shirt, flopped his messy, sweaty hair somewhat into place, collected his shoes, and headed outside.

He came back inside a couple of hours later wanting nothing more than a cold shower. The bedroom door was still shut, so Makoto assumed she was still out cold. With that, he threw his dirty shirt into the laundry hamper and headed for the bathroom.

Finally, when Makoto came out of the shower, shirtless, he saw Karen slumped in a seat at the counter. When he caught sight of her glassy gaze, he said: "Morning, sunshine."

"Screw off," Karen grumbled. "My head's killing me."

"That's not my fault," Makoto replied petulantly. "You shouldn't drink so much."

"You did nothing to stop me," Karen told him. With that, Makoto nodded. Then he made his way into the kitchen. As he bustled around, Karen slumped over the counter and hid her face in her arms. She didn't even realize as Makoto placed a plate of food in front of her and sat up in surprise.

"Eat up," he said. "You gotta get sober." He snagged a mug from the cabinet and the coffee pot from the burner, and soon enough handed her a full cup.

He kept his focus on Karen for a moment afterwards. When she met his eye, he noticed how haggard she looked. "You drank just as much as I did," she groggily stated. "Why aren't you hung over?"

"You're five-six, and I'm six-four?" Makoto answered. Karen groaned in reply.

"I can out-drink Rick," she mumbled. After a moment or two of the silence during which Makoto watched her disapprovingly, she turned back to her eggs. "You made a smiley face," she said to Makoto blankly, poking at the fried eggs and bacon with her fork.

"I thought you'd like it," Makoto replied. "I hope it makes you feel better about being a boozer."

Karen let out a sardonic "Ha-ha", as she cut into her eggs. Neither of them spoke much after that. After breakfast, she still slumped at the counter, and gave the then fully-clothed Makoto the occasional expressionless look over her second or third cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Makoto," she piped up. Makoto turned from the coffee burner to the counter, and leaned under the cabinets so he could look through at her.

"Thanking me?" he asked. "I should thank you and Cliff for coming over. Keeping me company and all." He gave her a wry smile. "It means a lot."

Karen smiled back at him. They felt pretty good for a while, until an angry-sounding knock rattled the door.

"Come in!" Makoto called over his shoulder. His face fell when Rick barged into the house, because the visitor looked livid. "Hey, Rick..." Makoto said.

"MAKOTO!" Rick cried. He sucked in a deep breath and whipped his finger in Karen's direction. "What's Karen doing here? I want you to explain this right now!"

Makoto groaned and stepped out from the kitchen and walked up to Rick, his head up high. Rick stared up at him uneasily, feeling himself shuffle backwards towards the wall.

"Sure," Makoto said as he braced himself on the wall with the palm of his hand. "I'll explain." With a motion of his head towards Karen, he said cooly: "Karen came over because she knew I had it rough with Elli, so she brought me some tequila to cheer me up."

Rick looked shocked. "What?" he spat. "You and Karen were here, messin' around all night, _drunk_?" He kept his focus on Makoto, who stared him down with a poker-faced resolution. Makoto knew he was right, and he wasn't about to back down.

"We didn't do anything," Makoto told him sternly. "I have no interest in Karen. And I would've taken her home last night, but I was trashed too."

WIth a cutting glare, Rick spat: "I don't believe you, buddy!"

"Fine," Makoto told him. "Be that way." He kept his glare squared on Rick. "But don't you come into my house and start accusing me of messing around with your girlfriend."

"I'm accusing you because you're lying to me! I _know_ you and Karen did something last night!"

Makoto cocked his glare. "I have no interest in Karen," he quickly grumbled.

"Don't lie to me!" Rick pressed, his voice wavering. Makoto sucked in a deep breath as he brought his arm back. Then he rammed his fist into the wall.

As bits of plaster rained from the ceiling, Makoto leaned forward and grumbled: "I won't have you coming into my house making accusations." Rick clung to the wall and backed up until he couldn't anymore. Then Makoto screamed: "AND I WON'T HAVE YOU ACCUSE ME OF CHEATING ON ELLI!"

But Rick frantically shook his head. "This isn't about you and Elli!" he cried. "This is about what you and Karen were doing last night!"

Makoto could feel Rick's trepidation, but his own anger kept him reigned. With a deep breath, Makoto jabbed a finger in the direction of the door. "Get out of my house," he told Rick flatly.

"I'm here to get Karen," Rick replied.

"You should've done that last night," Makoto told him. With a sputter, Rick nervously wrung his hands together.

"And take you on? Drunk?" he cried as he looked Makoto up and down. "No way!" Makoto let go of the wall and stood upright.

"Take me on?" he echoed, his eyebrow arched. But as he thought about how much stronger he was than Rick, he groaned. "Look, Rick. I think Karen needs someone to talk to." Karen looked shocked at that, but remained quiet. "But apparently," Makoto continued, "you're too thick-headed to realize that." He mused on his words, and then added: "I'll take Karen home when she's ready. I should follow through and make sure she's doing okay."

Rick jerked his thumb at his chest. "I'LL take Karen home," he said. With that, he cocked his head in Karen's direction. "C'mon, Karen! I'm taking you home."

"Fuck off, Rick," Karen shot back. Taken aback, Makoto watched Rick seethe. Finally, Rick spun around and headed out the door, sure to slam it as loudly as possible. With that, Makoto groaned and rubbed his temples anxiously. He made his way to one of the chairs at the counter and threw himself into the seat.

Karen turned to him. "I'm really, really sorry," she sighed. Able to discern the earnestness in her words, Makoto sighed and said:

"I should be sorry. Now you guys are gonna have hell." He didn't look at her as he spoke, and instead opted for staring at the lacquered cabinets.

Karen rolled her eyes. "Rick's gotta learn to control himself," she said. "He means well, but he can be such an asshole sometimes." Rick sure played the overprotective type, and as Makoto thought about it, he realized that he had a right to be jealous.

Makoto kept his eyes on the cabinet all the while as he thought about the previous night, and why Karen felt the way she did. When he acknowledged her silence, he too felt they had nothing left to say.

xXxX

**Thanks for reading! And I'm happy to see more new reviewers- Rhianwen, pablo128, and azn anime addict. And I agree with pvc: character development is definitely fun to watch. Besides those mentioned, thanks to manchesterblack, EvanscentShadow, and Terra89. I'm glad I'm getting an idea now how this is going. Thanks all for the support! **

**Until next time. **


	5. A Girl Like You

**Strawberry Fields- Written by a Hundred Monkeys with a Hundred Computers**

**Let's see... I've got another situation for Makoto, so I'm setting that in motion. And... did you think Makoto could get away with having Karen overnight at his house in a small town? I think not. Let's go!  
**

**-----**

Makoto did get some relaxation after Rick left, and took to messing around with a few Chopin tunes on the piano as Karen watched from the counter. A few attempts at a difficult passage reflected his growing frustration. He started out missing one or two notes here and there, and after a while, began messing up the piece with an occasional jarring note. 

After a while, he lost interest and closed the piano lid. He stood up, and as he passed Karen, he mumbled something about checking his mailbox and getting his utility bills.

Once he stepped outside, the sunlight washed over his face and gave him a surge of natural energy. His head felt considerably clearer as he took in a deep breath of fresh air. Then he stepped off his porch and headed for his mailbox. As he came closer, he noticed the flag stood up, as he anticipated. But something arrived with the bills, something he wasn't expecting.

Once he pulled out his mail, he found himself dumbfounded. "Oh man..." he mumbled, half-aloud. The rest of the envelopes dropped to his feet as he stared at the face of the letter he held. Karen saw him from the window and quickly jogged outside, but Makoto didn't acknowledge her as she came up beside him.

After a few moments of silence, Karen piped up. "What's that?" she asked. But Makoto remained silent. "What's wrong?" When Makoto still didn't say anything, she shook her head. "Look. I've had enough to deal with today," she told him. "If you're not gonna answer me, then I'm outta here." She was gone before Makoto knew it.

Makoto knew she was there, but he couldn't think straight. Robotically, he slid his finger under the flap and tore it open. He still stood there as he read the letter to himself, entirely engrossed.

By the time he ambled back into his house, he was finishing his fourth or fifth reading of that single page. Even if he nearly had the words memorized, he couldn't escape the letter's hold. Ein whimpered near his empty food bowl, but Makoto didn't acknowledge him until a few seconds later.

He gave a start. "Sorry, boy. I'll get you some food," he said. Ein seemed to know something was wrong, but all he could really do was nudge at his dish with his nose and whimper some more. Makoto folded the letter and slipped it into his back pocket as he searched through his cabinets for a can of food. But he found nothing. Even his year's supply of instant noodles was gone.

Then he opened the fridge and looked for some leftovers. There, he only found a few bottles of water, some leftover macaroni and cheese from two nights ago, and a few opened tins of coffee.

"I guess there's no food around here, Ein," he mumbled. With that, he grabbed his wallet off the counter and headed out the door.

-----

As Duke worked in his vineyard, he looked over to see Makoto heading down the road. With a wave, he gave the farmer boy a friendly call. But Makoto didn't reply, much less paid attention. With that, Duke furrowed his brow, turned to Manna, and mumbled: "Jeez, what's got into that kid _now_?"

"Oh, he's in one of his moods again," Manna snipped. With that, Duke turned his focus back on his work.

Makoto kept walking down Julia Street, rounded the corner, and passed another house and the adjacent library as Basil stepped out of the house. He too called after Makoto, but received the as much attention as Duke did. Baffled, Basil just shrugged and headed in the direction of the vineyard as Makoto passed Mayor Thomas's house.

Meanwhile, Elli stepped out of the Clinic and headed for her house. She spotted Makoto, but she couldn't tell if he noticed her. She kept walking, and as they came closer, she said: "Hey, Makoto!"

He didn't answer her either. As he passed and missed a second greeting, Elli grabbed his forearm. "Makoto?" she asked. "What's wrong with you?"

He spun around, looking miffed. "What's wrong with _you_?" he retorted. He stared her down as he waited for her reply.

Her expression turned thoughtful. "Is something's wrong, Makoto?" she asked, looking up at him with concern. "Can I help?"

Makoto let out a sigh that got to Elli, and looked at her with a troubled gaze. He knew if he could tell anyone, it would be her. As she patiently awaited his response, he finally said it.

"I got a letter from my dad."

With that, she watched as he continued on his way and left her there, stunned. She knew he'd come around and tell her what his father said, but he needed time to mull over the letter, as he did with everything troubling him.

**---------**

At the clinic, Elli had just finished showing Duke and Manna into the Doctor's office, and sat back down with her work. The Doctor didn't take long, and after about ten minutes, Duke and Manna made their way back into the lobby. Duke walked up to Elli's desk and fished for some money from his wallet. Manna just waited back and watched Elli, as if contemplating something.

Elli took notice of Manna's expression, but didn't think too much of it. "And..." she said to Duke as she checked her appointment book. "Two weeks from now, same time?"

"Sounds good, Elli," Duke said with a nod. With that, Elli took his payment and placed it in the makeshift cash till under her desk. When she looked back up, she saw them still standing in the lobby. Duke gave Manna's arm a light tug, but Manna didn't budge. Instead, she fixed a gaze on Elli and shook her head.

"Tsk tsk. You poor thing..." Manna said to her. A baffled frown spread onto Elli's face.

"Poor thing?" she echoed. From behind Manna, Duke let out an audible groan and plopped himself into one of the lobby's waiting chairs.

Manna nodded, her hands held together. "And you're the last to find out, too... you poor girl..."

Elli still didn't understand what she meant, but luckily for her, Manna took the liberty of telling her everything that happened at Makoto's house the night before. Sure enough, she muddled the alleged instances with the real ones in her mile-a-minute exposition. All the while, Elli alternated between feigning full attention and idly filling out her day's forms. But when Manna got to the part about Karen spending the night, Elli looked up, perplexed.

"That's right, Elli," Manna said. "Karen and Makoto spent the night together." Her half-grin reminded Elli how much she took pleasure in gossiping. Elli knew Manna often didn't care much about the parties involved in the rumors, just so long as she got the opportunity for the inside scoop. "Do you _believe_ that?" Manna asked. "The _nerve_ of them, right? Karen's your best friend too, isn't she?"

Elli deliberately stalled, but Manna eagerly awaited on her answer all the same. "Well?" she piped. But Elli couldn't quite say she believed it. Then Manna added: "And from what I hear, it turned ugly when Rick showed up the next day."

Before she could carry on, the Doctor stepped out of his office, almost looking vexed. He glanced at Elli and mouthed: "_Is she bugging you_?" Elli nodded, so the Doctor admonished Manna.

"I'd like you to leave Elli to her work now, please," he told her. With that, Duke mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "Thank God," as he headed for the door.

But Manna didn't look too happy with the Doctor. "Surely you know this is a _very _important matter," she explained to him. "A young lady deserves to know that her boyfriend is unfaithful."

"I agree, but on her own time," the Doctor told her. He quickly shot a small smile in Elli's direction, and she mouthed: "_Thank you._" The Doctor nodded and turned back to Manna, who looked ruffled.

"B-b-but-"

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave my office now, Manna," the Doctor continued cooly. Manna huffed.

"You can't do that!" she exclaimed.

"Please, Manna," the Doctor said as he held up his hand. "We have work to do now." Finally, Duke decided he had enough. He apologized to the Doctor and Elli as he strode up to his wife, grabbed her by the arm, and nearly dragged her out the door.

"Thank you, Doctor," Elli said again as the door slammed shut. "I didn't think she'd ever stop." The Doctor smiled at her, something he didn't do often for anyone else, and replied:

"Anytime, Elli."

As Elli returned to her work, he waited for a moment at her desk, musing on his thoughts. When she looked back up at him, she asked: "Is there something you want me to do?"

But just as quickly as he built up to saying what was on his mind, he sighed. "That's alright." In an attempt at a cover-up, he added: "I'll get to what it was on my own."

Elli watched him head back into his office, almost relieved. She knew what he wanted to ask, ever since she walked into his office one day the previous winter and saw the date of the Goddess Festival circled on his desk calendar. He never expressed interest in the festival any time before that, much to Elli's chagrin. When she asked him if he'd "like to go, as friends... or something", he sat back in his desk chair and arched his eyebrow at the stammering, nervous version of Elli as she waited in the doorway with an expectant smile. To her, he looked taken aback, and a bit off-balance.

Then he told her, as politely as possible, that he was too busy. She took it cooly. As she walked alone to the festival the next day, she assured herself that persistence, with some subtly, would help alleviate the awkwardness of her hopeless crush.

After mulling on the thought for a bit, Manna's words sank back into her mind. Whatever she meant by "it turned ugly", Elli knew she had to find out right from the source. With a sigh, she continued her work until her lunch break, when she headed out the door.

**-------**

Meanwhile, Makoto packed his brown paper bags as Jeff totaled his purchases at the Supermarket and Sasha kindly prodded him about the details from the night before. Makoto had no problem talking to Sasha, since he knew she had a right to know.

Rather than covering up the major details, Makoto told Jeff and Sasha plainly what happened. The only thing he didn't do was mention Cliff. Cliff and Karen's messing around was just something else Makoto didn't want to see blown out of proportion.

"We had too much to drink," Makoto told the two of them. When he noticed they watched him expectantly, he added: "Tequila."

Sasha and Jeff exchanged quick glances. "Our stash," Sasha noted in a business-like tone. Jeff nodded and smiled nervously at that, getting a stern glare from Sasha. "I thought you said you kept that locked," she admonished.

"The lock's been broken for years," Jeff admitted. Makoto looked from one to the other, unable to help a sheepish smile. Sasha eyed Jeff with a flustered expression and Jeff childishly grinned at her.

"Oh, well," Sasha finally sighed. Then she turned to Makoto. "I'm glad you let Karen stay at your house." But her expression remained firm. "I would've liked that you quit while you were ahead, and that you brought her home." As she exchanged a lopsided smile with Jeff, she added: "But who would I be to say you're not allowed a little fun once in a while?"

"You should've seen us back in the day!" Jeff exclaimed, his eyes convincingly wide. "We really knew how to raise the roof!"

At that time, the little bell above the shop door rang, and a girl's voice drifted into the shop.

"Hey Mr. and Mrs. Cardone! I need to pick up one more thing for Gram-" But Elli stopped when she took notice to Makoto. Makoto turned and gave her a quick wave, but Elli wasn't sure what to say or think. Manna's words just kept coming back to mind, but her own rationale told her otherwise.

It took a few moments of awkwardness between the two before Jeff piped up with: "What was it you wanted, Elli?" Elli looked a bit embarrassed.

"Umm... a carton of eggs," she answered. Jeff nodded and turned to the fridge behind the counter, and pulled out the eggs. "Anything else?" he asked as he punched the numbers into the register.

"That's it," Elli replied as she approached the desk. But before she could pay, Makoto fished the coins out of his pockets and handed them to Jeff. Then he gave Elli a small grin.

But she just gave him a somewhat dirty look. "You don't have to do that, you know," she told him. But she quickly found herself overcome by his charm.

"Too late," Makoto answered. All the while, Jeff looked from one to the other, money in hand. When Sasha prodded him in the arm, he just shrugged and dropped the coins into the till.

"Well, I'll give you back the money," Elli told him. Neither of them noticed as Jeff and Sasha stifled their laughter.

"What're you gonna do?" Makoto asked her as he tauntingly leaned forward for a moment. "That's a bit of payback for that birthday gift." Elli backed away from him at that moment and held up her hands.

"Fine, fine," she said.

"That's right," Makoto finished as he straightened up. Silence followed after that, during which Elli remembered what Manna said to her again. Jeff, Sasha, and Makoto all watched her curiously as she took her eggs. After a few moments, she caught on and exchanged baffled looks with them.

"So... what's the matter?" she asked lightly.

When Jeff and Sasha didn't respond, Makoto said: "You seem kinda weird."

Elli looked over at Sasha and could pinpoint the moment her opinions on Makoto's communicative skills ran through her mind. Then she turned to him and said:

"Well, if you could meet me at the Clinic at closing time, we can talk."

Makoto nodded at that and mumbled: "Sure thing."

After that, they parted ways outside, with Makoto cutting through Rose Square, and Elli hastily making her way home.

**-----**

After a few more hours of some much-needed sleep, Karen dragged herself out of bed and ambled into the supermarket. Her parents watched reproachfully from the counter, although Jeff's version of a reproachful stare came out pretty weak. Still, when Karen came up to the counter and took the cash till from her father, her mother asked:

"Are you feeling better now, dear?"

Karen, looking considerably less worse for the wear than she did that morning, nodded. "Definitely," she answered.

"Good," Sasha replied. Her expression hardened. "Now you're not to touch a drink for a week, got it?"

"Ahh... Mom!"

"Listen to your mother, Karen," Jeff chimed in. With something of a groan, Karen took the till to the end of the counter and started stuffing the coins into coin wrappers. Jeff and Sasha went back to their conversation about the store's finances. Every time Karen glanced up, she could see her father looking almost nauseous. But she was used to hearing that discussion.

When's Manna's voice floated into the store, Karen felt like ramming her head into the wall. The last thing she needed was Manna, as if she worked for the _National Inquirer_, interrogating her about her alleged affair with Makoto. But she couldn't escape. After Manna finished greeting Jeff and Sasha with a mile-a-minute exposition about the dreary weather and how she hoped it'd clear, she turned to Karen.

"And Karen!" she beamed. "How are you?"

Karen feigned a smile and dreaded the worst. "I'm doing well, Mrs. Weinstein," she said with a nod. "And how about you?" Jeff and Sasha could see Karen didn't look thrilled, but Manna remained oblivious. Instead, she began going on about the Goddess Festival, asking Karen if the dance routine was ready and how her dress was looking, among a bunch of other things to which Karen only pretended to pay attention. She answered cheerfully when she could get a word in between Manna's babbling, but otherwise, she felt crummy.

After a while, Karen felt sure Manna wasn't going to ask about her and Makoto. If her parents hadn't been there, she thought, it might've been another story.

"So, who are you going with?" Manna finally asked, jarring Karen from her thoughts. From behind at the counter, Jeff and Sasha exchanged shifty glances.

But Karen shook her head. "I'm sorry, Manna," she said. She quickly pointed at the door leading to the back room. "I just remembered I left dinner in the oven, you know, Mom wanting me to learn to cook and all..." She hoped Manna would buy it. "So I've gotta go check up on it before it burns. Bye!" With that, she turned tail and left.

Once the door slammed shut behind her, Manna piped up with: "Was it something I said?" She didn't notice as Jeff and Sasha gave each other those shifty glances again and shook their heads.

Soon enough, Manna left to go about the rest of her day, but not before telling Sasha about how Duke never wanted to listen to her about anything. Sasha sighed warily as she left, and Jeff called: "Hey, Karen! Please come out!"

After a few moments, Karen came back into the store. She picked up a stool from near the wall, walked it up to the counter, placed it on the floor and sat. With a sigh, she propped her elbows on her thighs and cupped her face into her palms.

"Ohh... honey," Sasha began, her eyes on her daughter. Jeff watched, looking upset.

"Of course she knows I go with Rick every year!" Karen started. "Why'd she have to start on me?"

"You know she's always trying to find something to talk about with anyone," Sasha explained. "She'll get bored of it eventually."

"Don't let her get to you, Karen," Jeff piped up. "You just go about your business, and..." He paused for a moment as he broke out with a lopsided grin. "To hell with her." Karen couldn't help but crack up at her father's charm. With a proud nod, Jeff added: "Everything's gonna be just fine, Kare."

Sasha nodded at that, watching her daughter with a warm smile. With parents like them, Karen couldn't help but trust them.

**-----**

Just as she promised, Elli took Makoto to the Clinic and led him into her barely furnished bunk on the second floor. After he shut the door behind them, he took notice of the bookshelf packed with medical books, and found himself impressed.

Then he looked eye-level at the top shelf. A group of teddy bears, all carefully tucked into place, watched him back.

"I thought I'd have something here when I have to stay the night," Elli piped up, catching his attention. Makoto turned to look at her, and then glanced back at the shelf before smiling at her. With that, she warmly beckoned for him to sit on the edge of the bed with her.

Makoto wasted no time telling her everything that had gone on the night before. All along, he knew putting Karen up at his house would have repercussions, but, and as he told Elli, he knew it was the right thing to do at the time.

Finally, Elli had to ask him if he shared an intimate moment with Karen. Makoto looked her in the eye and told her: "I'd never do that to you." With that, she smiled, glad she was right along.

"I'm glad you did what you did, Makoto," Elli told him. "Not the drinking part, of course." Makoto smirked at that, and Elli added: "But... I've got something else to ask."

"No problem."

Elli sighed and kept her gaze away from his. "I'm asking because Manna came into the clinic and went on with this story." Makoto groaned, but Elli continued. "But something in her story really gets to me." She looked up at him, only to see him almost staring into nothing. "She said Rick came by the next day, and things got ugly."

"He came in screaming about me sleeping with Karen," Makoto explained. "And I didn't like it. We got into a fight, and yeah, I screamed at him about it. Then I told him to get out."

"Oh..." Elli replied idly, before she turned her gaze back to the floor. Makoto just kept his focus on nothing. After a few sighs, he finally managed to speak.

"Y'know, sometimes I wonder why you don't know better."

Elli looked taken aback. "Wait... what?"

Makoto looked over at her. "Yeah," he said. "Okay, so I understand that you'd wonder what went on with Karen and me, and that's fine. But you buying into what Manna told you about things getting ugly? I thought you knew me better by now."

"Makoto," Elli said impatiently. "We're getting into this argument again, and it's not doing us any good."

"It's always been you," Makoto told her. "You've always been the one who understood me." He looked baffled. "Why are you buying into what Manna's saying _now_?"

Elli shook her head. "I don't know... just you getting angry lately, and what people think about what you did at school..." She trailed.

"Do you still have to listen to other people about me?

"Tell me what happened," Elli told him. "Please." But the pain in his eyes spoke his feelings. He stammered something, but he couldn't speak.

"I-it's bad," he finally said. With a sigh, he said: "But I'll tell you." It took him a moment to gather his thoughts. "We were just wrestling and goofing around, y'know. And we really didn't get much time to do that either, so we were happy about it..."

He closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to flesh out the image of himself in his memories. As he continued speaking to Elli, he could see his group of fellow cadets bounding about and shoving each other to the ground. Makoto stayed behind, until a much shorter cadet came by and attempted something of a headlock.

The shorter cadet managed to cut Makoto to size, and quickly forced him to the muddy ground. Calling out their names, the others encircled the two. The shorter cadet really weighed down on Makoto, but somehow, he managed to slip away from him. Still, the shorter cadet kept a strong hold on him.

But neither noticed as they wriggled closer and closer to the mouth of the gorge. The other boys followed and kept swearing and howling. Makoto gasped suddenly, and struggled to get out from under the shorter cadet's weight.

Finally, Makoto managed to slip free. He pinned the other cadet by the shoulders and gave him his poker-faced, piercing stare. The boys broke out into cheers and howls again, as the shorter cadet struggled under Makoto's hold. But he crept back too far and tumbled over the edge of the cliff, bringing Makoto with him.

Makoto couldn't even register why he hung in the air while the other cadet plummeted. His pounding heart felt like it was lodged in his throat. When he tried to scream, only a squeak escaped. He felt like he couldn't even breathe.

When one of the boys behind him told the other boys something, he felt himself being lifted by his arms and his shirt. They tried to stand him up, but he collapsed onto his back and stared past the crowd of cadets absently.

As he slowly became aware of his surroundings, Makoto looked over to see Elli staring at him. Slowly, he brought his eyes to meet hers, and said:

"I told you it was bad..."

For a moment, Elli didn't know what to say. "You know..." she piped up. "...You should've just told them that. I don't know why you'd want to hide the truth."

Makoto thought back to a while ago, and said: "Telling Duke it was really just an accident was enough. I got it off my chest. But I don't want to go relive this every time I tell it." He looked at her. "I don't mind telling you. But I don't want to be telling every last person. I'd just rather put it aside and move on."

Elli fell silent again, mulling over her own thoughts. "You're right," she replied. She found herself laying her hand on his lap, and added: "You're right... I'm sorry..."

With a small smile, Makoto took her hand and said: "Hey. You don't have to apologize."

"But I feel hypocritical," Elli told him. "Now that I think about it, I can understand that you don't want people thinking of you as the boy who killed someone." She paused. "For a while, and even sometimes now, I'm always looked at the girl whose parents died." There was another pause as she gathered her thoughts. "And while I know I'll never be looked at the same way all the time, I'd just like to be myself more often than not, you know."

Makoto nodded at that. "I know exactly what you mean."

Both let out a long sigh before exchanging gazes. As they moved closer, they leaned their heads on each other and gently rubbed each other's backs. They sat in silence while sharing their company.

After a while, Elli told Makoto she had to start heading back. But a question grated at Makoto, and before Elli opened the door to go outside, he stopped her.

"I need to ask you something," Makoto said. Elli looked up him.

"Sure," she told him. As she looked up at him expectantly, he set his gaze onto partitions behind her.

"I don't know what to do," he told her. "I'm starting to realize that my behavior when I first got here isn't doing me any good now." He paused. "Well, I mean... I'm starting to really see it. I keep getting the feeling that if I was a better person back then, people would trust me when I say something," Another pause came as he slowly brought his gaze to hers. "But my temper's not helping me at all. But I don't know what to do."

He didn't even need to explain to her how he felt. Without another beat, she took him into an embrace. After a moment, she felt him wrap his arms around her.

When she let go, she looked up at him and said: "Just keep at it, Makoto. You've got people on your side, and people have seen you do good things. Just keep showing them who you really are."

Makoto gently pulled her close again and rested his chin on her head. "I won't let you down," he told her.

-----

Elli watched him leave that evening as he took the path to Rose Square, and when she no longer saw his shadow, she herself headed home. As Makoto crossed through the square, he heard two women exchanging mentions of dinner plans. But as he came closer, he noticed the topic switched to the gossip about Karen being his secret visitor every night for a the past season. He audibly groaned at that, and caught the attention of the two chatting housewives as he passed.

"Makoto!" Manna called out jovially. Makoto stopped and took in a deep breath. He knew he couldn't turn back.

Manna circled him and started rambling about what so-and-so told her and what she thought of everything. Then she went on about what Anna, the woman standing next to her, had to say about the rumors. Makoto did his best to ignore Anna after Manna mentioned her, but Anna held him under a stony glare.

"Is it true?" Manna finally exclaimed, jarring Makoto from his thoughts as a baffled look crossed his face. "That you dumped Elli to _finally_ get with Karen!" She seemed almost excited, but because Makoto knew she'd sell her soul for juicy gossip about her neighbors. Eagerly, she awaited his answer.

But Makoto couldn't speak."Well?" Manna pressed. "I can't believe you! You did break--"

"No, I didn't," Makoto cut in. He thought about it for a moment. "Well, yeah, I broke up with Elli, but I didn't do it to whore myself around town." He kept his head straight and his focus on her.

"You broke up with her!" Manna repeated. Makoto shook his head.

"That's _my_ business," he told her. With a quick look at Anna, he took notice to her hawk-like, reproachful stare. But he didn't think much of it. He had to keep himself cool.

"Then what was Karen doing at your house last night?" she pressed. Makoto didn't know how much longer he could keep his composure. It took a few inhales and exhales to keep from exploding. _Goddamn it_, he thought. _That woman really needs a hobby. _

After a bit, he found himself ready. "She dropped by," Makoto explained. "She wanted to talk, and we lost track of time, so I let her crash at my place."

"And what were you doing that got you to lose track of time?" Manna asked, knowing she had the upper hand.

"Just a having a friendly talk," Makoto replied.

"But--" Manna started.

"And whatever we did, it's none of your business," Makoto added cooly.

"Well..." Manna started. "You go from throwing temper tantrums to trying to wriggle your way out of trouble, huh? Well, you're not fooling me! You've always seemed to me to be too much of a shady type, and I don't like it."

The twinkle faded from Makoto's eyes, and left him with a nervously diverted gaze. "Well..." he began. "That's true... I can be like that." He looked back up at her. "But whether you believe me or not is not my problem. I know what went on."

He looked a bit rueful when he saw Manna didn't look pleased. "Watch who you're talking to, Makoto!" she told him. "You had better show the adults around here some more respect! Throwing fits or passing off a phony charm won't work when it comes time to decide whether you're staying or going," Manna continued. "We can all see you for who you really are."

Anna's stare turned from reproachful to almost scornful. Makoto did his best to quickly acknowledge her. With that, he nodded his head at the both of them and said: "I gotta go now. Farm to run... whatever else it is you think I do. All that good stuff." With that, he headed past them, leaving the housewives exchanging baffled stares.

"What do you suppose is wrong with him?" he heard Anna ask.

"I think he's on drugs again," Manna replied. Makoto rolled his eyes and inaudibly groaned at her assumption, but he couldn't help grinning to himself once he left her line of sight. After all, it felt a lot better to walk away from a conflict after keeping a cool head. Sure enough, Makoto thought, his story would seem more valid than the rumors ever would.

But Manna seethed as Makoto walked away, and said to Anna: "That kid always gets me riled up!"

As Makoto walked home, all he could think about how he would've handled himself in that situation a year before. And as he thought about, he realized he had Elli to thank for helping him better himself.

--------

**Hopefully Makoto can learn to handle these social situations a bit better in the future now. Also planned for later on are finally some chapters that "star" the other characters, but... I wasn't expecting to write this chapter either.**

**Anyway, thanks all for reading/reviewing. Terra89 (keep your eye on the Doctor there), pablo128 (heh... the last one only took so long cause of school), pvc (I know this chapter had less fun, but that's definitely something I want to keep up in the future... fun is definitely needed), and azn anime addict (aww... my own bookmark? Heh... I'll try not to take forever between updates anymore, but I've said that more times than I can count).**

**In the meantime, I'll be taking advantage of the break and working on this story. Take care, all, and of course... Until next time. **


	6. At The Festival

**Strawberry Fields-** No One's Sanity Is Safe

**New chapter time? Yeah, really. Edited as of August 2nd, 2006, due to formatting errors. Edits include an added question mark in Makoto's dialogue, and a (somehow) misplaced snippet of a paragraph that's been returned to normal. Seems I can never get by without a glaring error once in a while.**

**Now, onto the story! **

xXxX

Sure enough that evening, Duke didn't hear the end of Manna's mile-a-minute jabbering about how Mineral Town was a much nicer, more relaxing place before "that shaggy-haired degenerate" arrived. Of course, she had a point. Makoto had a knack for driving people crazy. Whether or not he intentionally did it was debatable.

Then came the part of the rant Duke always hated. Manna swept into the living room and blurted: "Are you listening to me, Duke?"

"No."

Watched by a chuckling Duke, Manna threw up her arms and groaned as she stormed back into the kitchen. Thankfully for Duke, the Doctor's advice on being impassive towards everything that grated on his nerves got him to keep his once-monsterous, blood pressure-elevating temper in check.

With a smirk, he thought about teasing her again as she bustled angrily about the kitchen, preparing dinner in an unorganized manner. She was sure to burn something again while she opted to rant and spend too much time figuring out salad assembly. "Hey, honey," Duke called. "You should calm down."

"Calm down?" Manna cried as she stuck her head out of the kitchen again. "What's your problem, Duke? You were the first one to think that little jerk as trouble, and now you're on his side!"

Duke forced a chuckle as he sat down and kicked back on a comfy-looking recliner, cursing off his wife in his mind. "No, Honey," he explained. "I'm not on his side. But I'm not on yours either. He's not entirely what you make him out to be."

"Oh really?" Manna huffed.

"Yeah, really!" Duke growled. As he leaned over the side of his recliner and sifted through a rack of local newspapers and old magazines, he spoke again in a calmer voice, but barely hampered his vexation. "Sure, he takes out his anger on other people sometimes, just like I did, _all the time_." He finally found the paper he was looking for and opened it up to the sports page. "But I don't blame him," he added as an afterthought. When Manna narrowed her eyes at him, he said: "To an extent, of course." He paused, gathering his words. "It's only natural. I mean..." He shook his head. "Yeah, he's and moody everything, but-"

"You don't know what you mean, you idiot," Manna pressed.

"You know, you shouldn't be getting so riled up over it," Duke snipped. "Makoto has shown that he means well, too. If he didn't mean well, he wouldn't have helped me when I had my heart attack."

The words weighed on Manna. She shook her head, diverting her focus from her husband. "No, Honey," she said. "Someone would've found you."

"At the farm? At night?" Duke asked. He looked over at Manna, who remained silent in wake of the memories of that night. Duke's helplessness, and Makoto's show of real courage. But most of all, the promise Makoto made to Duke.

With that, Duke nodded resolutely and continued. "I look back on it, and I realize was really unfair to Makoto last year. And for what? Because he was a stranger."

"You said it yourself that he was suspicious to you," Manna pointed out. She shook her head. "To his face! And I still think you have a point. But he didn't keep your promise, Duke. Just look at him now!" When Duke ignored her, she continued. "You know, I can't fathom how such a nice girl like Elli can get involved with such a pessimistic, shady character like Makoto." Duke rolled his eyes. "I mean, I feel sorry for her. She just hasn't been the same since her parents--"

"Manna! Enough!" Duke bellowed in a voice nearly loud enough to shake the house. Manna looked on, miffed, as Duke shook his head. "Leave me alone right now," he muttered. "I don't want, _nor need to_, hear you carrying on about this."

"Why not?"

With a deep breath, Duke replied: "I dunno, Honey. Maybe I want to keep my blood pressure down and not have another heart attack. Doctor's orders."

With a loud groan, Manna spat: "What does he know, anyway?"

"At least how I can take care of myself," Duke commented. Manna let out a huff.

"He just told you to not give so much a darn about anyone or anything because he knows things would just be easier if everyone was like that," she continued. "Cold and impassive." She shook her head. "God! What gives that man the right to come into town and just sit up there in that Clinic by himself all the time? He's not much better than Makoto!"

Duke didn't want to say anything about Manna's rant. "Anyway..." he trailed, forcing a mocking smile. "You should keep your blood pressure down, too." But he found he had enough as Manna turned and stormed back into the kitchen with a few choice insults for her husband. Muttering his own insults, Duke finally shifted his focus to the newspaper.

But after a few moments, he just found himself skimming through the articles and barely comprehending anything. In frustration, he re-read passages over and over until he finally threw the paper aside and jumped out of his seat.

As he made his way for the front door, Manna's voice pierced the silence. "Where are you going, Duke?" she called.

"Out!" Duke answered. "I need some fresh air!" He sniffed, and then frowned. Sure enough, Manna burnt the roast again.

Before she could tell him to stay put, Duke slammed the door in his wake.

xXxX

Surely, Makoto never meant to grate on people's nerves as he did. A lot of the trouble he caused might have just been because he was never used to living in such a small community where everyone knew just about too much about everyone else's affairs. Either that, or he really did have a sense of social etiquette bordering on deplorable.

The shadows creeping across the bedroom ceiling seemed to watch Makoto in his late-night musings. Something about being in Mineral Town for a year sparked that bout of reflection in him. He couldn't believe he'd been there all that time, and he felt disconnected from his feelings about the town from when he first arrived. He remembered that he just wanted to finish what the Old Man asked of him, without thinking of the possibility making friends and becoming attached. Strange, he thought, how much his feelings towards Mineral Town changed.

He took a look at the framed photo of Elli on his night stand and smiled. Then, as he felt Ein shift around at the foot of the bed and settle down again, he turned over and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

As Manna saw it, the next day passed quietly, because there were no sightings of Makoto around town. Manna figured he must've been mulling about at the farm, doing his chores. Either that, or he deliberately retreated to his lair after striking, perhaps to give everyone else in town a chance to forget about his latest obnoxious exploits before he set out to grate them some more.

As usual, Manna, Anna, and Sasha met in Rose Square for another round of gossip. And whatever the case was about Makoto, Anna and Sasha weren't up to hearing another one of Manna's rants. Seemingly more interested in her nails, Anna idly contributed conversation after she found herself bored with Manna's chatter. But Sasha finally steered her from her almost vehement talk of the boy by casually asking her about how Aja was going about preparing for the festival.

"Oh," Manna said, perking up considerably. "I tried convincing her to fix that silly hairstyle of hers, but she told me if she dyed it too often, she'd wreck her hair." Then she mused some more. "I'm glad she's going in the first place. Getting out would do her plenty good." With that, she carried on with that notion instead, much to Anna and Sasha's relief. That way, they could go back to seemingly paying attention.

xXxX

After finishing all his farm chores that morning and getting dressed for the festival, Makoto eyed himself in the bathroom mirror. The sight of his moptop tamed was a rare one, and the sight of him dressed up in something other than a T-shirt and jeans was rarer. He frowned, feeling preppy in the button-down and khaki-colored dress pants Elli helped him pick out that winter, not to mention the striped tie he couldn't quite fix properly.

With a quick look at the clock, he noted the time and headed out of the bathroom. But as he crossed the living room, a knock came at the door. Makoto arched an eyebrow, unsure of who could be there at that time when the festival was about to start in about a half-hour. He took a quick look out the window, and smiled inwardly.

"Elli!" he called as he jogged towards the door. Elli leaned over and peered in through the screen, clad in the pink festival dress.

"Hey, Makoto!" she greeted as he pushed open the door. They met with a hug, and then found themselves embracing it.

When they broke away, still holding onto each other, Makoto asked: "What're you doing here?" Elli took notice of his crooked tie, and started adjusting it

"I came to fix this," she promptly answered. With that, she reached up his tie as they shared a laugh. Once she finished, Makoto looked down at it and nodded.

"Thanks," he told her. Then, leaning cooly against the door frame, he asked: "So, why'd you come again? Not 'cause your Spidey-Sense went off, right?"

Elli rolled her eyes at him with a flustered smile. "Now that's pretty lame."

"Yeah, so was your cover-up," Makoto told her, only to be answered with another roll of the eyes.

"Well..." Elli started, casting her gaze aside and putting her fingers to her face as she mused on her thoughts. "You don't have a date, and I don't have a date. So why shouldn't us wallflowers hang out together?" She smiled sheepishly, as if hoping Makoto wouldn't see through her wording.

"Are you asking me out?" Makoto deadpanned.

"Well, it looks silly to go in alone," Elli said.

"Sooooo... we should go together?" Makoto added. Shyly casting her gaze aside, Elli nodded, her cheeks flushed.

"Yeah, that's what I mean." As Makoto smirked at her reaction, he took a hold of her hand and said:

"Let's go, then."

After a gaze between them, they entwined their fingers as they stepped off the porch on the way to the farm's entrance gate.

Since they had plenty of time before the festival, they slowly ambled down the cobblestone roads on their way to Rose Square, idly watching the blooms of white and yellow flowers on the billowing trees. Makoto found himself taking notice of the gardens circling the townsfolk's houses, and their thick, slightly wild, verdant lawns. A lot of the houses looked alike at first glance, all unassuming, rustic, and surrounded by a great deal of space. But upon closer inspection, one could see stark differences in the ways people made their homes friendlier.

Elli glanced over at Makoto and chuckled inwardly when she noticed him staring off at the rolling plains stretched behind the houses. But her laugh pulled him out of his focus, and he turned to her with a lopsided grin. "I'm sorry," he said. "Just... ummm..."

"I've just never seen anyone so..." She cast her gaze aside as she mused on her thoughts, and then added with a wry smile: "I dunno. I guess absorbed with this place."

Makoto wanted to tell her that she'd lived there all her life, and that maybe she was a bit blase about her surroundings. But all he could initially do was shrug and grin crookedly again.

"I guess this is the first time I've really been looking around, y'know..." he trailed.

Elli nodded inwardly, and replied: "You're in a good mood today. I'm glad." Makoto's eyes flashed when he met her gaze.

"Of course I'm in a good mood," he told her, moving slightly forward and tilting his head to the side as he kept looking into her soft eyes.

xXxX

Most of the other townsfolk were gathered in Rose Square by the time Makoto and Elli arrived. It seemed the younger couples took their time arriving to the festival, while the parents got there early enough for some excited clamoring. But when Elli and Makoto arrived hand-in-hand, heads turned one-by-one.

Elli greeted each puzzled expression cordially, while Makoto stood back and nodded in acknowledgment. Then they met up with Duke and Manna. Duke seemed oblivious to the hand-holding, but greeted them monosyllabically nonetheless. Manna, of course, took notice.

"Nice day, Mrs. Weinstein," Elli said.

Makoto added playfully: "How are you today?"

For once, Manna found herself unable to speak. Finally, Elli said: "We'll see you around, alright?"

"S-sure," Manna stammered.

Once Makoto and Elli headed off to talk with Karen, Jeff, and Sasha, Manna turned to Duke. When she saw her husband looked uninterested, she instead surveyed the square for anyone who'd look in her direction and unwittingly spark a conversation about how the young girls in town looked in their festival garb.

After a few minutes or so, the other young couples made their way leisurely into Rose Square. Taking away from the bustle of Makoto and Elli's entrance, heads turned and eyebrows arched at the annual sight of Ann Flannery in a dress. Ann looked as if she swore under her breath as she passed the crowd, but she managed cordial greetings to everyone as Cliff elbowed her in the side.

Then Rick showed up from the other entrance with his sister and mother in tow, looking cross. Looking out-of-place with his dirty Chuck Taylors and without Karen, he stayed quiet as he stared at the crowd. On the other hand, Popuri, jauntily bubbled with each greeting and compliment that came her way as she made her rounds to see everyone.

Gray and Mary arrived at around the same time as the Brody family, with Gray wearing his trucker cap and Mary squinting without her glasses. Anna nodded approvingly at the sight of her daughter, but then frowned and hissed at her to stop squinting as she fixed a few crooked flowers in her hair.

From the podium perched near the east entrance of the square, Constable Harris took a head count of everyone present as he mumbled to Mayor Thomas. Once Harris nodded to him, Thomas climbed onto his soap box and tapped the microphone.

"Good morning, everyone!" he said cheerfully. When the last threads of conversation fizzled, everyone turned their attention on the Mayor. "Another year has passed, and now, it's time for the one-hundred sixty-second annual Goddess Festival." He surveyed the sea of faces. "It looks like we've got all our young couples out here today."

"Dude, I came with my sister!" Rick whined from across the crowd. From next to him, Popuri let out a huff, and then stalked over towards their mother. All eyes volleyed back to the podium, where Mayor Thomas chuckled nervously as he realized his blunder.

He cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway... as you know, we're gathered here--" The microphone let out a screech, and a few people cringed. "We're gathered here--" Another screech. "We're... ugh... Son, this thing's..."

With a groan, Harris reached forth and yanked it. Then he nodded at his father.

"Thanks, Harris. Anyway-" He turned to the crowd, looking flustered. "-we're gathered here to celebrate the coming of Spring, and to offer thanks to our Goddess of the Harvest." He went on with his usual speech about the deity that, as some thought, the founding townsfolk possibly invented. No one was quite sure if she existed, but they kept holding the festival as a dedication to her year after year.

"And I'd like to thank Pastor Carter," Thomas said as he motioned to the stocky young man waiting near a battered stereo, "for arranging the musical selections this year. And now, it's time for the girl's to perform the traditional Goddess dance." He looked over at Carter. "Carter, whenever you and the girls are ready..."

Meanwhile, the villagers stepped back to allow the girls one side of the square for their dance. Before they gathered, mothers worked in some last minute preening.

Makoto looked around. Karen bent her head down as Sasha adjusted her flower wreath, while Lillia hugged Popuri and Anna prodded at the flower's sewn on Mary's dress. Aja, who Makoto didn't remember seeing enter, stood with Duke and Manna with a bored look on her face. A few feet away from the Weinsteins, Ann muttered about her contempt for the dance with her father, while he told her gruffly to get it over with.

"I'm gonna head over," Elli said, stirring Makoto. Makoto looked over, but he saw Elli didn't move. When he saw that she watched the families as well, he didn't knew he didn't have to ask what troubled her.

Instead, he placed a hand on one of her cheeks and kissed the other. "Good luck," he said. She looked up at him, almost shyly, with her cheeks tinged red. Then she headed off to meet the other girls.

Once all six of the girls met and formed two lines, they exchanged a few nervous looks. Then when Carter clicked on the stereo, Karen counted in three to herself and led off the dance. She moved gracefully all the while, while the others did good enough to follow closely. While everyone watched in genuine interest, Makoto found himself in the shadow of his feelings towards the festival last year. He didn't want memories of himself having a terrible time to haunt him, not when he found himself happy for the first time in a long time.

The applause rushed, taking Makoto by surprise before he idly joined in. Before he realized it, the girls had joined their dates. Then Elli came up by his side and took his hand, exchanging a brief gaze with him before Mayor Thomas spoke again.

"Alright, then!" Mayor Thomas announced. "It's the part of the festival everyone really looks forward to-" Karen looked dejected at that. "-the social dancing. Everyone get your dates, but don't just dance with them the whole time!" Then he surveyed the crowd, looking pleased with himself before he motioned to Carter to turn on the stereo again.

As an old guitar rock tune cut into the air, Elli turned to Makoto and asked: "Ready?"

Without a hitch, Makoto answered. "You bet," he replied, unable to contain a small grin as he led her to a spot among the dancing couples. Both of them started dancing and laughed each time one or both of them stumbled. First off, the rare sight of Makoto laughing left villagers a bit baffled. A few other people stared, perplexed, but they stopped thinking much of it and got back to dancing.

Every time Makoto took a few glances around him, he could see people laughing and talking jovially. But with a quick look at Rick, and then Karen, dismissed his "everybody's happy" theory if he ever had one. With each glance at Rick, he could've sworn he saw him looking confused at the sight of him and Elli together.

Elli seemed to notice his presence as well. "I wish he'd get up and do something," she piped up in an off-handed manner. Makoto shrugged at that.

Still, he found himself enjoying the dance, something Elli could see in his eyes.

After a while through the dance, they swapped partners with Karen, Cliff, and the other teenagers in town, except for Rick. He only danced with his mother on occasion, and squabbled with his sister about whether he was "such a downer" or not. On top of that, he glowered at Karen when he could, so much so that even the usually sullen-faced Gray said: "Goddamnit, he's really being an idiot."

Just as Makoto and Elli met up again for the next tune, a slower number, someone stepped up behind them.

"May I have this dance?" came a young man's voice. Both Makoto and Elli looked over their shoulders to see the Doctor standing there, for the first time without his lab coat. Neither could recall seeing him in the square earlier.

Then Makoto looked at Elli expectantly, who looked to Makoto as if waiting on an answer. He could only give her a blank expression and a shrug, so she turned back to the Doctor and said brightly: "Sure thing." Then she waved at Makoto as she headed with the Doctor towards the near center of the square.

Makoto watched them go, and all the while, found himself overwhelmed by the urge to head towards the side of the square and skip the next dance. Before he realized it, his legs carried him away from the dancing couples and towards the refreshment table, where he noticed Karen serving herself some punch.

"Hey," Makoto said as he grabbed himself a cup and the serving spoon.

Karen turned around and leaned on the table, sipping her punch. When she lowered her cup, she asked: "Taking a break?"

"Yeah." Makoto turned and took a swig, only to cast his cup downwards and part his lips into a twisted look of slight disgust. "Did you spike this?" he asked. He waited for her response so he could rip on her for drinking again, but she instead ignored him and cast a furtive gaze over her cup. Looking for the subject of her focus, he saw Rick sulking about at the other side of the square. Then he said: "I'll take that as a yes."

"You and Elli seemed to be having a good time," Karen suddenly mused. "So why the long face?"

"I didn't realize I was doing the long face thing," Makoto deadpanned. With another sip of her punch, Karen replied:

"Oh, please. That pouty thing you do whenever the Doctor so much as smiles at Elli?"

Makoto's face fell. "How'd you know about that?" he asked, before adding sarcastically: "Oh, wait. Don't answer that."

"If you're gonna be mad over something like Elli talking to me when she was worried about you, then grow up," Karen told him. With a long sigh, Makoto nodded.

"Touche."

After a long pause, Makoto idly looked over his cup, while Karen took the occasional sip from hers. Finally, she piped up. "It's just a dance," she told him intuitively. Makoto noticed himself under her watch, and looked over at her. "Don't worry about it."

"Can't help it," Makoto muttered.

"You don't have a problem with them working together," Karen observed. Makoto shrugged at that.

"Duh. That's her job, and she loves it," he told her.

"So, why not let them have a dance? You didn't mind when Cliff or Gray danced with her," Karen continued. "Besides. You don't want to be overly jealous, like other boyfriends we know." Her dark gaze once again found its target at the other side of the square.

With a quick, heavy sigh, Makoto replied: "I didn't mind Cliff or Gray dancing with her because Cliff's just my idiot friend, and Gray's got Mary." He paused, casting his own looks at the Doctor and Elli. "But the Doctor. Come on... remember that she had that huge crush on him?"

"All too well," Karen replied with a smirk.

"Well... what if she's not over him?" Silence fell over them after that, during which Karen bit her lip to hamper another smirk.

Then she burst out into a brief bout of laughter, during which Makoto cut her a dirty look. "I'm sorry," she said as she calmed herself down. "I'm a bit buzzed, actually."

"Tell me when you start offering philosophical advice. You could hang up a shingle and start charging for your services."

"Bite me, Mackie," Karen retorted. "Anyway, I think you're just being paranoid." She pondered that thought.

Makoto smirked. "Huzzah for paranoia," he said, only for his humor to be ignored by Karen.

"Or you're being taken over by testosterone," she continued, her brow furrowed. "Or both." Before Makoto could retort, she said: "You know damn well Elli's given up on the Doctor. He wouldn't even give her the time of day last year. Now, and I hope to God you know this by now-" She said that through gritted teeth. "-she really likes you... a whole lot more than you'd think."

"Of course she likes me. Otherwise, she wouldn't put up with me," Makoto replied. "But..." He trailed. "I don't know..."

As Karen pointed up that the dance was over, Makoto looked up to see the Doctor and Elli speaking to each other. He read their lips, and saw that the Doctor said something along the lines of thanking her for the dance, and then added that he had to get back to his work. Elli then bid him farewell, and waved to him for a few moments before turning back and surveying the square for Makoto. "Go dance with her now," Karen added.

"Right," he said with a nod as he tossed his cup in the trash bin under the table. As the Mayor announced the approaching end of the festival, Makoto headed for Elli and noticed her looking over her shoulder, and for some reason, right at Rick. When she turned and approached Rick instead, Makoto stopped short and slumped over back to Karen.

"Okaaay..." Makoto said inwardly, arching an eyebrow as he craned his neck to get a better look. Karen brought her cup down and furrowed her brow in confusion, and then asked:

"What's she doing?"

"No clue," Makoto replied as he squinted to get a better look at their lips.

Rick looked taken aback when Elli approached him, seeing as the two never spoke much outside the occasional exchange in passing. "Hey, Elli," he said, trailing in his speech. "What's up?"

"I'm alright," she answered, sounding very mellow. "But you know..." She looked over across the square at Karen, who in turn furrowed her brow again in confusion. Then she turned back to Rick. "You've got your head up somewhere it shouldn't be." The nonchalance of her words seemed to hit Rick harder than the words themselves. He shook his head and jabbed a finger at his chest.

"I've got my head up my ass?" Rick huffed. A few townsfolk craned their heads at them as they danced, but seemed decreasingly interested in dancing.

"If you want to say it like that," Elli replied jovially, getting a frown in return from Rick.

Meanwhile, Makoto reported everything they said to Karen. "I can't believe she's doing this," he added.

"I don't think I've ever seen her pick a fight," Karen noted. Other people seemed to acknowledge the situation as such, as they all turned to get a look at Rick and Elli. It seemed some of them shared Karen's sentiments about Elli. They whispered to each other, all a bit baffled by Elli's behavior.

"Y'know, I don't get it," Rick said to her. "Makoto cheated on you. Why are you still with him?"

"Because he didn't cheat on me," Elli told him. From the refreshment table, Makoto grinned wryly at Karen and relayed what Elli had said.

"You don't know if he's lying," Rick replied, sounding a bit glum. With that, Makoto turned to Karen and kept reporting the exchange.

"Oh, I know he's not," Elli said cooly. "I trust him, the same way you should be trusting Karen." Rick pouted. "When did she ever give you the notion she can't be trusted?" Rick turned aside, and she continued. "You'd rather have her be miserable, and you be miserable, instead of admitting you made a mistake?" Rick let out a sigh. "I know you're angry, but wouldn't it be better to put that aside and have a good time with the person you care about instead of coming here and being miserable?"

Rick didn't know what to say or think. When Elli saw he had nothing left to say, she turned and left as other townsfolk stared.

At that point, Makoto turned to see Rick in shock, and Elli approaching him and Karen. "Wait," he mumbled, turning to Karen. "What do you think happened there?"

"You're the lip-reader," Karen replied off-handedly. Makoto rolled his eyes at her, and then looked over at Rick. The thoughtful expression on Rick's face left Makoto wondering what it was he missed.

As Rick stood there, Popuri came back up to him and started talking about something or another. But whatever she spoke about, Rick didn't pick up on, still engrossed in his conversation with Elli.

Meanwhile, the rest of the townsfolk started dancing again. Some looked a bit shocked, while others were too involved with each other to pay much more attention to what had happened. Makoto looked over at Karen and saw her sighing.

"Hey," he said. "No matter what, I'm behind you."

Karen nodded at that, managing a slight grin. "Alright, Mackie," she said. "Elli's coming over now, so go on and dance with her like a good little boy."

"Yes'm," Makoto deadpanned. "See you later." With that, she waved at him, and he gave her a parting nod before he headed over to meet Elli.

When Elli met up with Makoto, she said: "There you are." Without skipping a beat, she took him by the hand and said: "C'mon. Let's spend the rest of the dance together." Makoto nodded as she took him from the spot and headed towards where the other couples danced. As always, he found himself unable to help a smile as he slipped his hand on her waist and led her off for the dance.

xXxX

Later on that evening, Makoto slipped into his dark house and flipped on the light switch. Ein looked up at him from his usual place near the couch, but then happily bounded up to him. After bending down and giving Ein a good belly rub, he headed for the bathroom to get cleaned up. As he passed by a clock on the wall, he noticed it was just a bit later than he thought. Then he felt Ein at his feet.

"I had a good night, 'case you're wondering," he told his canine friend. Turning his attention to him, he added: "But you have no idea what I'm talking about." He paused. "Want a treat?"

Ein yipped in reply, and rocked on his haunches.

"Good boy," Makoto said. With that, he turned and headed over for the kitchen instead, followed closely by Ein. All the while, he undid his crooked tie and grinned inwardly. That night, he found himself feeling good enough to give Ein three treats instead of one.

He sat on the linoleum floor of the kitchen as Ein gnawed on some biscuits. "Things are picking up again for me and Elli," he said. "Isn't that great?"

For a second, Ein looked up with his big, honey-colored eyes, but then turned his attention back to his treats.

"I bet you think it is," Makoto said flatly, rubbing Ein's head. Then he leaned up on the cabinet under the sink, casting a dreamy gaze into space. After a while, he felt something warm sink onto his lap. But he didn't even register it until he looked over and saw Ein looking up at him expectantly. "Kitchen's closed," Makoto told him, scratching him behind his ear. "No more treats for you."

Ein whimpered.

"I know, I know," Makoto added as he rubbed his back. He looked up at the cracked clock hanging from the kitchen wall. "Time to get to bed now, Ein," he said. With that, he allowed Ein to move before bringing himself to his feet and making his way to his bedroom.

xXxX

**Hehe... this chapter had a lot of drafts and edits... more so than any other chapter so far. It was a tough one to write, but I had a lot of fun doing it. Anyway, Chapter 7 is already in the works, so hopefully there's as short a wait between this and that as possible. If not, then... I'll eat my words, or something.**

**Thanks again to the readers! And so credit goes where credit's due, I got the idea of expanding the format of the festival from pvc's A Haven From the Storm (which is still going on, so check it out) wherein the townsfolk both watch the dance seen in the game and dance with each other. Smells like a plug, methinks.  
**

**That said... Until next time.**


	7. Something About Joe

**Strawberry Fields- If you read it, you can't un-read it. **

**Alright, so our last chapter was a bit more relaxing, but this one's more of a transitional chapter. Keep your eyes peeled for some clues as to what might go on later. Actually, I meant for some other stuff to happen here as well, but I decided on separating that into the next chapter. Anyway, here goes.  
**

xXxX

Early the next morning, Makoto found himself mulling over the events of the Goddess Festival while sitting at the counter with his second or third cup of coffee. Whatever Elli said that left Rick deep in thought, he was flustered over missing it. Surely, Karen probably wanted to know if Elli got through to Rick.

After draining the cup and washing it out, Makoto headed out the door to get a start on his work.

xXxX

Sometime a few weeks before, during winter, a few of the townsfolk came to the decision that Mayor Thomas needed to track Makoto's progress at the farm come springtime. Of course, Mayor Thomas got the job because everyone else was either too busy, or they just didn't want to do it.

Mayor Thomas checked his pocket watch as he stood on Makoto's porch, protected from the cold drizzle. After all, as mayor of such a small town, he made it a point to visit the townsfolk as often as possible. Something told him Makoto would come outside at six on the dot, unless he overslept. In either case, the Mayor had everything planned from the moment Makoto would step onto the porch.

"Mayor Thomas," he heard a voice say. Shocked, he spun around to see Makoto at the shipping box. Makoto looked tired, but still held a huge crate full of milk bottles without much trouble. He managed to kick the box open with his foot, and before too much cold air could escape, he placed the crate inside and promptly shut it.

"Looks like you're working hard there, m'boy," Mayor Thomas said with a lopsided smile. Makoto nodded as he headed for his porch. For a moment, Makoto stood around in silence, until the Mayor asked: "So, how're you doing with livestock?"

"I've got a handful right now, but I'm doing fine," Makoto told him. "They all seem happy."

"Really?" the Mayor asked. Makoto nodded. "I'm glad to hear that, then," the Mayor added. "Sounds like you're doing well."

Makoto nodded at that. "Yeah." When he noticed the Mayor shivering in the rainy morning wind, he said: "If you wanted to talk, there's no reason to stand out here if you're cold. Wanna come in?"

The Mayor nodded.

"Definitely," he said. As he followed Makoto inside, he continued with: "I never have any idea how you get by wearing a T-shirt in this cold."

Makoto motioned for the Mayor to sit on the couch while he headed for the kitchen. He waited for the Mayor to say something, but instead, the little man seemed engrossed with staring at all the sepia-toned photos on the wall.

Each picture depicted a large family, separately or together, en route from a hole-in-the-wall apartment to out in the country. He saw pictures of a smaller family standing outside a larger house that stood where Makoto's house stood. Almost instinctively, the Mayor turned to the kitchen window. He noticed the ugly curtains with a nod. Finally, he turned back to Makoto.

"You still have all his pictures," the Mayor said absently. "And his curtains." He looked back to the wall. "And his wallpaper, too."

"Maybe I share his taste in decoration," Makoto deadpanned from the kitchen as he slapped together sandwich meats. The Mayor dismissed it with a shake of his head. Silence fell in the house after that, until Makoto's voice floated back from the kitchen: "You want breakfast, Mayor Thomas?"

Thomas shook his head. "No, no... too early for breakfast, I think. But I would like it if you joined me in your parlor for a minute." Then he added in a none-too-severe tone: "You should show guests some manners."

With a sigh, Makoto placed his half-made sandwich in the fridge and headed for the living room. "I shouldn't let you out without giving you anything, so..."

Mayor Thomas chuckled. "Not a worry, m'boy!" he said jovially. "Maybe next time, you can have some scotch ready!" Makoto gave a sheepish, faint grin as Thomas let out a laugh, taken with his own crack. After regaining some composure, he continued. "Anyway, I've been wanting to pay a visit to see how you're doing on the farm. How about when the rain clears up, you give me a tour?"

"No problem," Makoto replied. A few moments of silence passed before he asked: "What was it you wanted to talk about anyway?"

"Oh!" Mayor Thomas paused to gather his thoughts, and then turned his attention back to Makoto. "It's just that I've been thinking that it's come time you do some expansions on this house." He motioned to the counter and kitchen. "I see you already got to some, but..." He paused again. "I don't know exactly how to say this, but... It's just that this house should be ready to sell in case you don't stay here after you're done with your trial." Almost nervously, he looked over Makoto.

"That's alright," Makoto answered. To him, it seemed the Mayor meant Makoto wouldn't be staying on his own accord, and not that he was acknowledging the possibility of the townsfolk voting him out of town.

"It's just that this house should have a second floor, you know, be livable, in case someone else moves in to take over the farm," Mayor Thomas continued. Makoto wished he wouldn't keep trying to explain himself, but let him talk nonetheless. "Of course, if you do stay here, it'd be nice to get it ready for in case if you ever... ummm... you know, get married." Makoto arched an eyebrow, wondering what difference it made to the Mayor whether he had a second floor or not. Then he thought the Mayor almost implied that he and marriage didn't seem to go together hypothetically.

He decided not to think much of it, but when he took notice of the Mayor, he could see him looking about the house nervously. So Makoto looked out the window instead. Thankfully, the sky started parting. "Hey, Mayor Thomas," he started. "The weather's looking good now."

Sure enough, the Mayor looked relieved.

xXxX

Maintaining a slow pace so the tiny Mayor could keep up, Makoto walked past the fields and allowed the Mayor all the time he wanted to get a good look at where sprouts were growing into leafy stalks. Clearly impressed, the Mayor nodded and said: "It looks like you're going to have a big harvest this season."

"I hope so," Makoto said in a tone that was neither dark nor sarcastic, but, as the Mayor thought, was humble. He could see that Makoto was genuinely happy about the success he had on the farm up until then. As they continued past the apple tree and fish pond, Makoto looked up at the sky to see it threatening rain again. The Mayor seemed to notice as well, and sped up his pace somewhat.

After looking over the chicken coop, they headed for the barn. There, the cows and sheep nuzzled themselves on Makoto, much to the Mayor's amusement.

"They all really like you!" he noted as Pixy Dust, Makoto's first sheep, bleated gently and accepted a chin rub from Makoto. With that, Thomas asked: "May I?"

Makoto, on his knees, looked over at him. "Sure," he replied as he stood up and motioned for him to come closer. The Mayor chuckled as Pixy Dust rubbed her muzzle on his hands, and said:

"She's really nice. Isn't she the one that won the prize at the festival last fall?" Makoto nodded, and Mayor Thomas added cheerfully: "I can see why!" Unable to help a small laugh, Makoto replied:

"She's a real sweetheart, isn't she?"

The Mayor nodded at that, then surveyed the two cows and the sheep in the barn as he did before. "You're doing an excellent job with your livestock, Makoto," he said. "I'm no expert, but I think Barley would agree."

Makoto gave a wry, sheepish smile. "Thanks," he replied.

After a good ten minutes in the barn, during which one of the cows licked Mayor Thomas upside the head with her slobbery tongue much to his own amusement, they headed outside. Heavy-looking, patchy clouds lazily moved about in the sky. Mayor Thomas took notice.

"Looks like we're in for some bad rain again," he noted underneath his thick mustache. Makoto nodded at that. After a brief silence, he turned to the Mayor, to see him deep in thought.

"What's up?" he asked after a bit. Mayor Thomas cupped his face in his palm as he mused, and then snapped his fingers.

"A-ha! I remember now!" With an arched eyebrow, Makoto waited for the Mayor to continue. "I was thinking... Could you do a bit of community service today?"

As the first drops fell, Makoto nodded. "Sure," he replied. "What do you want?"

"Well, I figure she'll need the help since it's going to rain," the Mayor said. Before Makoto could guess who needed help, the Mayor added: "Could you help out Anna today?"

Makoto blinked. Unfortunately, he knew 'could you?' could never be an option, though he wished it were. At that point, he would've helped anyone but her. As he awaited his response, the Mayor rocked on the balls of his feet and looked up at Makoto. But Makoto could do nothing more than swallow his words and nod weakly.

xXxX

After spending some time in the fields, Makoto cleaned himself up and headed out the farm's entrance on the way to the Supermarket. Along the way, he still wished he didn't have to meet up with Anna. He almost longed for another chance to scrub the yuking toilet at the Inn with a grimy brush, or better yet, the chance he'd have to do some menial work at the Clinic under Elli's close supervision.

The iron grey sky stirred and rumbled while the rain fell. As Makoto found himself passing the same houses he and Elli passed en route to the day before, he found himself taking in the scenery again. He saw Gray sulking about under the eaves outside the Blacksmith, possibly seething after an argument with his grandfather. They acknowledged each other with a quick nod before Makoto passed the smithy and rounded the Winery, where Duke worked outside in the vineyard.

"G'morning, Mac!" Duke called out broadly. Makoto waved to him and called out:

"Morning. What's up?"

Duke jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Work, as usual."

Makoto nodded at that, and then waved farewell to Duke before continuing down the road. Along the way, he quickly greeted Mary as she entered the library, and gave Officer Harris an acknowledging nod as the cop slowly patrolled the street in the opposite direction.

He felt he reached the Supermarket too soon. For a moment, he stood at the door and took a few deep breaths. Then he reached for the door's handle, and pushed open the door.

The bells above jingled as he entered, immediately grabbing the attention of Jeff, and unfortunately, of Anna. "Hey, Makoto!" Jeff greeted cheerfully. Makoto greeted him with a nod, and then tossed a quick glance at Anna.

"G'morning, Anna," he said, half mumbling and doing his best not to look her in the eye.

For what seemed to be just too long, Makoto helped Anna with her shopping. Thankfully for him, he found himself some time to talk to Karen as she helped straighten out the shelves. The first thing he noticed about her was that for the first time in about a week, she didn't look all that hung over. Then he remembered he wanted to talk to her about Rick, but before he could, she said in a hushed voice:

"I can't believe Thomas made you work with her."

Makoto let out a barely audible groan and shook his head, mumbling something under his breath. "I mean," Karen continued. "Mary's cool and Basil's a nice guy, but she's a little..." She rolled her eyes a bit and looked sheepish.

"Well, if she chops me to bits and sticks me in a stew, I'll let you have my stereo," Makoto whispered. Then he cast a bit of a sick-looking glance at Anna. "I'm scared," he added, turning back to Karen.

Karen shrugged, looking a bit bemused but not entirely taking her focus away from her work. "You don't have to be scared," she assured him. But Makoto sighed and shook his head. Karen didn't know the half of why Makoto was scared of working with Anna, and frankly, he didn't want to get into the overly long story involving Anna and something of hers he never, ever wanted to see again, and wished he never saw. "Ahhh..." Karen continued, waving her hand at him. Then she added sarcastically: "You can be scared if you want."

"Yeah, sure," Makoto hastily replied. Then he noticed Anna at the counter, beckoning for him to help her. With that, he gave Karen a goodbye and sulked forth.

"See ya later, Mackie!" Karen called after him with a smirk. He looked back at her, rolled his eyes, and then kept walking.

After gathering all the bags, Anna led Makoto back to her house. She kept her back to him all the while as he stared off at the clearing sky in the distance. As long as he didn't have to face her, the better off he thought he was. Soon enough, they arrived, and Anna pushed open the unlocked door.

Antiques watched Makoto from everywhere around the foyer, den, and dining room, touching the air with a chill. The stiff couches in particular looked as if Anna prohibited her husband and daughter from sitting on them, and instead stood more for show than anything.

Anna tonelessly steered Makoto in the direction of the kitchen. Despite the fact he shifted about five shopping bags in his arms, he managed a passing glance at a photograph of a tall, rather lanky teenage girl with Asian features. Beside her stood a much younger and slightly more laid-back version of Anna, and both held what looked like school books. Still, Makoto couldn't get much of a look at the picture, though he wondered what drew him to that one out of the whole group of them.

"You know," Anna piped up, without stopping or turning to look at him, "I don't think you've ever been in the part of my house where guests usually are welcomed."

Makoto knew he couldn't dish out a caustic reply, otherwise, everyone else in town would hear about it. He didn't think Anna was a particularly detestable woman all the time, but he didn't want to take chances.

"Follow me now, Makoto," she said as she made her way towards the kitchen. Makoto followed, carrying all of her bags, but only because he offered to when they left the Supermarket. She pointed to a black countertop, where he promptly set the bags down. Between the black countertops and the old wooden floor, the kitchen looked drab. Not even the pale green curtains brightened the room.

"Sorry about the looks of my kitchen," Anna told him. "I don't know what I was thinking years ago." With that, she added: "You know the contents of my private drawer are a little more colorful, so at least you must not completely hate my taste."

Makoto choked on his words before he managed a reply.

"What's with bringing that up now?" Makoto asked, keeping his cool. "Isn't your husband home?"

"You know Basil's hardly ever home," Anna told him. "He's off hiking on Mother's Hill, as usual." Makoto groaned and shook his head at that.

"You're never gonna let me live it down, are you?" he asked, cutting her a dirty glare. Anna seethed.

"Watch your attitude, young man!" she spat. "You know, you should learn to keep that in check."

"No," Makoto told her, feeling himself getting riled, but struggling to stay cool. "I'm not gonna stand for you rubbing what I did in my face."

"I'll tell everyone in town that you came into my house with a disgusting attitude," Anna replied, gaining the upper hand and knowing it. "And I'll tell everyone you broke into my private drawer last year."

"Funny," Makoto began cooly as he leaned on the counter. "Because I can just as easily tell everyone what you have in that drawer that makes it so private." He watched Anna as she silently fumed.

"You wouldn't dare," she said, slowly and articulately.

"Yes I would," Makoto told her in the same manner. "Unless you agree that everything that happened here stays here."

"Fine," she spat. "I'll agree to it." Makoto stood up again and extended his hand. Resigned, Anna hesitated before she shook on it. With that, she let go of his hand and turned to her groceries.

"While I put these away, I want you to de-weed the back yard," she ordered him. "I'm sure you can do that, right?"

"Yes, I can," Makoto told her nastily. With that, he made his way to the glass door, slid it open, and stepped onto the creaky wooden porch. All the while, he couldn't help but wonder why, out of everyone else in town, he had to get stuck doing community service for Anna.

"I want you to start helping with my gardening too," Anna called from the kitchen. Makoto groaned under his breath. "And I expect a good garden this year with your help, Mister." At least she gave him that credit, as Makoto thought.

When the warm noontime sun washed over Makoto's face, he yanked off his hoodie and tossed it over the rail of the porch as he made his way down the steps. He didn't notice too many weeds around, but he could tell from first inspection that something was wrong with the tilled soil by the fence.

"You've got some bad soil back here, Mrs. Fawlty," Makoto called over his shoulder. He thought about suggesting burning the soil, but quickly nixed the notion. When Anna stepped onto the porch, he looked up at her and said: "It's depleted of nutrients."

"How so?" Anna half-scoffed, arms folded. With that, Makoto jogged to the patch of soil, slid down on his knees, and scooped up a handful of dirt. Then he got up and jogged back over to Anna, holding the soil so she could see it.

"See?" Makoto began, pinching some dry looking, dull soil between his forefinger and his thumb. "When it looks like this, it's no good for planting," he explained. Anna leaned in to get a good look at the soil.

"So that's why my tomatoes didn't come in well last year," she noted. "How do I fix this?"

"When you till, you've gotta dig a lot deeper to churn up the soil underneath," Makoto continued. He made sure she looked interested before saying more. "The roots of the plant sap minerals out of the soil, so when you flip it over by tilling, you can provide the next plants with fresh minerals." He pondered something else.

"Also, don't plant the same crop or flower in the same spot for the next time. Different plants require different nutrients, so you have to alternate where you plant them to give the soil a chance to develop the depleted nutrients from the last plant."

"I never knew that," Anna said. "I mean, Basil is very knowledgeable about botany, but he's no gardener." A slightly unclean look crossed her face; she looked like she bit into a lemon. "My husband, always passionate about plants," she added idly.

Makoto nodded. "He sure is," he told her. With that, Anna mused on another thought.

"You know, Basil was an architect back when we lived in the city," she continued. "We bought a house out here because he's always enjoyed nature." She let out a dreamy sigh and stared out at the verdant scenery ahead. "I enjoy it here much more than in the city. At first, I didn't like it at all, but I came to like it after I got to know everyone, and after I adapted to the lifestyle."

Makoto took a long look at her for the first time. She didn't look like the country type at all with her expensive-looking dress and jewelry, but it seemed then there was more to her. Finally, he shook the dirt from his hands and said:

"Tell you what. I'll teach you how to get a nice garden going." Anna's face brightened somewhat with his offer. "I'll be busy and everything, but I'll try to come over as often as possible to help you out."

"Thank you so much, Makoto," Anna replied. "Not even Joe did anything like that when we moved in." Makoto arched an eyebrow. "I mean, he probably gave me a pointer or two whenever he dropped in to visit, but I never asked him to help with my garden entirely since he spent so much time working on that farm. The first few times I grew plants back here, they all came in so well."

"Joe came by to visit?" Makoto found himself asking. Anna nodded.

"Joe visited everyone as often as he could," she told him in a matter-of-factly tone. "Everyone in town used to invite him over to their houses often for dinner, since he couldn't cook on his own."

Makoto nodded inwardly. "No wonder all I had to cook with when I moved in was a hot plate," he half-muttered. Anna didn't quite hear what he said. She leaned in and asked:

"What was that?"

"I said no wonder all he had in the house to cook with was a hot plate," Makoto repeated. With that, Anna cracked a smile and small laugh. Makoto flashed his own smile at that. "Not even a kitchen," Makoto added.

"That sure sounds like Joe," Anna said, still smiling. "He never had kids, never got married, so he never felt the need to expand that tiny house. Whatever he didn't need or couldn't find a use for, he didn't buy."

"But he had that piano," Makoto told her. Anna nodded.

"He inherited that from his uncle," she told him. "Anything that came from his family members, he kept." Makoto thought about all the pictures in his house."Joe never had a family of his own, so he held everything he received after his relatives died close to him." She smiled a bit, seemingly enjoying the conversation, and seemed to muse on a thought. "You know, Makoto..." she started, turning her gentler gaze on him. "You played really nicely at the Music Festival last autumn. It came as a surprise to a lot of us, actually."

Makoto shrugged, looking a bit sheepish. "Thanks," he said, finding himself tongue-tied.

"You should play for people more often," Anna added, still watching him with a slight haughtiness. "It's such a nice thing that you can do that."

With a nod, Makoto said: "Maybe I should do that...", sounding a bit distant as he thought of the one person he wanted to play for. Then Anna went on a bit about how Joe used to play piano at the Music Festival. But as she continued, Makoto thought it strange that someone as allegedly amiable as Joe owned a piano, but never seemed to invite people to his house to listen to him play.

Then Anna looked to Makoto, as if waiting for some a reply. He simply nodded, and still felt taken aback that Anna wanted to talk to him. Anna took notice of this, and asked:

"What's the matter, Makoto?"

Makoto kept his watch on her. "Kinda strange you're talking to me, you know," he half-mumbled. When Anna looked a bit taken aback, Makoto regretted saying it. But he didn't even know why he said solemnly: "You just seem lonely."

Anna stared him down, a touch of bitterness in her eyes. Finally, she said:

"Get to work, Makoto. It'll be getting late soon." With that, she turned and made her way into the house. Makoto watched her bustle around the kitchen as she shoved some kind of chicken dish into the oven and threw the door shut. With a sigh, he trudged to the back of the yard and got to work.

All the while, he wondered why what he said set Anna into a foul mood. But he decided not to mull on it too much. After all, she seemed to stew enough for two, as he saw every time he took notice to the slight scowl set on her face.

xXxX

That evening, Makoto was sure to leave Anna's house without much stalling, as he could tell she wanted him out of the house as hastily as possible. He even left his sweater on the banister outside the kitchen. but didn't dare ask for it as he crossed the living room with her tailing him. Of course, he realized he would have to see her again anyway. He just didn't want to think of it at that time as she cordially bid him goodnight as she shut the door behind him. Without wasting much time, he turned and headed on his way home.

All the while, thoughts of her friendliness set off a twinge of annoyance within him as well. It seemed she actually enjoyed talking to him. But he figured there had to be something more behind her warmth, and he wanted to find out what it was.

Thankfully, he had more of an idea about why Anna reverted to her initial foul mood after having such a friendly conversation, but he still couldn't help but mull over it.

------

Meanwhile, Elli stepped outside her house after dinner with her grandmother and brother. After her grandmother's insistence, she decided to take a walk that night and deliver some leftovers from that night's meal. The pale yellow beams from the street lights flickered on as she turned from her walkway onto the cobblestone road, casting Mineral Town in a warm glow.

Far down the road, she could make out the figure of a skinny boy, glasses glinting in the street lamp's light. But before he saw her, Rick turned the corner and headed in the direction of the Inn, no doubt.

She made it to her destination after a few more minutes. To her delight, piano music drifted out from inside the house. Makoto, having adapted one of the local practices, always kept his door open in nice weather, leaving the only screen door shut. Elli could see him slightly sway his mop-topped head as he played a few running melody lines, and smiled to herself.

But slowly, and without finishing the song, he stopped playing and placed down the piano lid. Elli could've sworn she caught a flash of his smile, but before she knew it, he stood up, turned, and saw her.

"What're you doing here?" he asked, still smiling. Elli opened the screen door and let herself in, and then said:

"I brought you some of our dinner." With that, she placed the tupperware on the counter, and then turned to Makoto. "Grandma wanted me to, but she says she'd rather you come over and eat with us again."

Makoto looked away. "Sorry," he sighed. "I should've stopped in, but I was a bit..." He trailed, and then sat back down on the piano bench, looking at a loss for words.

"What's the matter, Makoto?" Elli asked as she headed over to the bench and sat down next to him. Makoto slumped forth and propped his face up by his palm.

"You know," Makoto replied. "People getting mad at me... this time Anna. She was all friendly, but then she got angry with me. But I don't think I did anything wrong this time."

Elli smiled at him. "You could've just as easily admitted to not liking fish or something," she said jokingly, getting a smile from Makoto. With that, she rubbed his back, and said: "Well, if you don't think you did anything wrong, then maybe she's just angry over something else."

Makoto nodded, feeling a warmth where Elli gently ran her hand over his back. Although he could piece together the problems Anna had within her marriage, he didn't really know too much about it firsthand. But he found he didn't feel much like pondering it anymore.

"Thanks, Elli," he said, letting out something of a relieved sigh.

They sat for a few moments, not quite looking at each other, but inwardly smiling and enjoying each other's company. But after a while, Makoto found himself taking a few quick glances at his piano. After a few more moments during which a few of Anna's kinder words came to mind, he wordlessly swung his legs over the bench and turned to open the lid.

Then he motioned to Elli, and lifted the piano lid as she gingerly turned to face it. "Wanna play?" he asked.

"I don't know how," Elli answered as she eyed the keyboard sheepishly. With that, Makoto sat down on the right side of the bench. "But I'll try," she said, watching as he played a few chord progressions.

Then Makoto held up his fingers. "Good thing I have big hands," he said, before he played more progressions. "You can play the melody," he added.

"Alright," Elli replied. Then they took a few minutes as Makoto played the melody for her and she watched. After that, Makoto watched her as she played, and nodded approvingly.

"Great," he said. "Let's try it together." With that, he started off with a few chords. When Elli's turn to play came, he met her eye and nodded. They played together for a few long moments, both relaxing and exchanging fleeting gazes.

But after a while, the notes started faltering on both ends as Makoto and Elli turned their focus on each other. Slowly leaning forth, they brushed against each other's cheeks. Their fingers slid over a few more stray notes before all sound faded from the air as they grazed each other's lips.

They found themselves not wanting to pull away from each other. All the while, they felt for and held each other's hands. When they broke away, Makoto saw Elli's ears redden as she shifted her gaze nervously. Then Makoto put down his hands and gave a slight frown.

"Awkward?" he asked, looking at her expectantly. She nodded as the blush crept to her face. "Why?"

"We're broken up?" Elli half-answered. "Or we're supposed to be."

"You know, you're really confusing me," Makoto said.

Elli stood up. "Well, you're confusing me, too," she told him.

"You're the one who asked me to the festival yesterday, Miss Mixed Messages," Makoto told her, his voice growing less deadpan.

"And you're the one who broke up with me for no reason," Elli shot back, fixing her sideways glare on him.

Makoto sputtered. "It wasn't _for no reason_," he said, looking up at her. "It was..." But then he trailed as he realized he couldn't figure out his own rationale for breaking up with her in the first place. With something of a triumphant smirk, Elli crossed her arms and said:

"Go on, Makoto. I'm waiting to hear it..." But then, Makoto jumped up from the bench and headed for the door.

"C'mon!" he said, not even looking over his shoulder. "Let me walk you back home before it gets any later."

"I win this round," Elli said lightly as she too headed for the door. Makoto stood by the door frame and then followed her outside, grumbling:

"Oh, shut up."

Throughout the walk back to Elli's house, Makoto kept his hands stubbornly shoved in his jeans pockets and occasionally cut her a dirty look. Elli didn't retaliate, though. Instead, she snickered, and then smiled sweetly. After a while, Makoto swore under his breath, and she laughed aloud.

Before Makoto knew it, Elli turned and headed up the stone walkway. When he followed her absently, she said: "I thought you couldn't wait to be rid of me."

"Go put a sock in it," Makoto muttered darkly.

"I win again."

Makoto let out a groan, deciding he had enough of her. With that, he grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped her in her place, then leaned forth and kissed her. She smiled as she shared the kiss, and drew herself closer to him.

Meanwhile, Karen, on her nightly stroll, stopped at the optimum voyeur's distance and watched Makoto and Elli, arms wrapped around each other and very much preoccupied. Incredulously, she rubbed her bleary eyes. But as she watched, she snickered and shook her head. Then she continued on her way, still, not quite leaving the vicinity.

After a few moments, Makoto and Elli broke away, but kept their gaze on each other until awkwardness set in again. Elli turned from him, the tip of her ears once again red, and headed for the front door. Before she entered, she turned to Makoto and asked.

"What do you think, then?"

Makoto looked a bit puzzled. "What do I think...?" he echoed, arching an eyebrow. Elli rolled her eyes, and said:

"Yes, Makoto, I want to know what you think."

Either she was testing him, he thought, or she was just plain being strange. But knowing her, and the sly look crossed between with a flustered smile, she had to be testing him.

"You mean the kiss, or our relationship?" Makoto asked. Elli looked at him blankly, a frown forming on her face. A good moment passed before Makoto realized hindsight would ridicule him to no end for blurting out that one. Then Elli rolled her eyes and said:

"Alright, Makoto. Good night."

Makoto already started suffering hindsight's derision as the words he knew he had to say came to his mind. But instead, all he could utter was: "G'night, Elli."

With all the ridicule he knew he was about to endure that night, he knew he'd need to switch to decaf if he ever wanted to get to sleep. He slumped as he ambled down the road, and as he rounded the corner, he heard the pattering of boots rushing up behind him.

"Ow!" he winced when he felt someone slap his shoulder. He spun around, only to see Karen had jogged up beside him. Ignoring his eye roll, she slyly said:

"Looks like you and Elli are back on, huh?"

"Pfft." Makoto rolled his eyes again, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "She... errr... _inquired discreetly..._" he grumbled, "...about the whole getting back together thing, but..."

"But..." Karen interrupted. "The point was here..." She waved a finger in the air, "...and here's your head..." She held out her other hand near her torso, oblivious to Makoto's grumpy expression.

"Yeah, it went over my head. I get it," he muttered, rolling his eyes again. "Jeez." Then he paused, getting her to stop as well. "We're heading to my place. I should be walking you home."

Karen sniggered, having planned on spending more time meandering the town streets and paths near Mother's Hill. "Alright then," she said with a bit of a drawl, and the two turned and headed in the opposite direction. "Anyway," she continued, gathering her thoughts.

"I can't believe I said that," Makoto sighed. "And I hurt her again, too." Karen could hear the despondency in his voice, and let out her own sigh at that. "I'm such a jerk," Makoto capped, shaking his head and casting his eyes downward.

Karen balled up her fist and punched him, and he let out another yelp. "Shut up!" she snapped, stopping him under a street lamp. He found he couldn't look at her directly, but she kept a hard look fixed on him and said: "You can fix this, you know." He looked at her incredulously. "Obviously," she said, making accompanying hand gestures, "she wanted to get back together with you, hence her asking. Now, you..." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "You've got tomorrow, and..." She looked up at Makoto, who looked dejected. With that, her expression softened. "Tomorrow's another day," she finished.

A good moment or two passed. "You're not chewing me out?" Makoto asked, staring blankly.

With a brisk nod, Karen said: "I know, it sounds really, really tempting, but..." She playfully rolled her eyes. "But as long as you go up to Elli tomorrow and say what you were supposed to say tonight, you can't go wrong."

Hearing Karen's praise sent a feeling of relief through him. He nodded resolutely at that. Then Karen let out a snicker and grinned wryly. "Or at least I hope you can't," she added, getting a mock-groan from Makoto as the two continued on their way to the Supermarket.

"And if I do, you can chop me up and put me in a stew," Makoto deadpanned. "Then you can have my stereo."

"What's with you and having yourself chopped up into stew meat?" Karen asked, sounding a bit wary at his humor. Makoto shrugged.

"Bit hungry," he mumbled, finding himself looking forward to the dinner Elli brought him. Karen laughed to herself at that, and then as she approached her house, she turned onto her walkway and bid Makoto goodnight.

But unbeknownst to Makoto, Karen watched him as he headed down the road. Once he was out of sight, she stepped out from under the shadows of her stoop and slowly ambled up the cobblestone road in the direction of the shore, knowing she had too much on her mind at that time to want to sleep.

xXxX

As the usual patrons started heading home after some time at the bar, Ann, Doug, and Cliff worked to close up for the night. But that night, Cliff couldn't help but look over his shoulder at Rick, who sat with his shoulder slumped at the bar as others paid their tabs.

Cliff handed a few mugs to Ann as he rounded the bar, and then headed over to Rick. "Hey," he said as he sat down at the stool next to him. Rick looked up from his beer and gave him an acknowledging mumbled greeting, but Cliff continued. "You alright, dude?" he asked.

Rick looked up at him, almost wondering if he had even heard a lick of the gossip about his love life. He was about to give him a caustic reply, but instead said: "I'm just thinking about what I should do with Karen."

Folding his hands, Cliff leaned forward a bit and rested his arms on the countertop. "Well, you've gotta take some kind of action. You can't just go on avoiding it forever." Then he looked up, only to see Ann balancing a far-too-full tray and positioning herself to kick open the kitchen door. With a sheepish inward smile, Cliff rose from the barstool and headed over to help her, but not before briskly patting Rick on the back first.

Rick turned his attention back to his beer as Ann said: "C'mon Cliff, I can get the door myself!"

"Didn't seem so," Cliff chuckled, only for Ann to groan at him. But Rick didn't pay attention to them while they passed into the kitchen, Cliff laughing and Ann muttering at him.

Then Ann quickly poked her head out of the kitchen, and called: "Keep at it, Rick. You can definitely fix things between you and Karen." Rick looked up, and to Ann's pleasure, smiled and nodded.

If he hurried, Rick would probably be able to find Karen at one of her digs. Either she would be meandering about the beach to clear her head, or hanging out by the hot springs and watching the stars. Still, it was a lot of ground for him to cover in one night, he thought.

But when the ground lurched up at him once he got up off his bar stool, he unconsciously decided reconciliation wasn't best done during times of inebriation. But he knew after he had some time to sleep on it and some aspirins, he could certainly take on a conversation with Karen.

xXxX

**Hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks to all who read, and the reviewers (Terra89, EvanescentShadow, Rhianwen, kelley28, and Ghost Rider CSV). Until next time, during which if Makoto doesn't do what he's supposed to, you're all invited to beat me with ladles. Or not.**


	8. What's To Hide?

**Strawberry Fields- ****It's ****Ringo Starr-Approved**

**Everyone got their copies of HM:DS yet? I'm digging it so far. Well, hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**xXxX**

With his aspirin taken and his head nearly cleared, Rick took to his chores around the family poultry ranch early the next morning. Once or twice, he tossed a passing glance over the fence, only to see Makoto's lanky frame moving amongst the plant stalks in his fields. Rick felt he couldn't be angry with him anymore; he was supposed to be trusting Karen, and thus had to accept Makoto as having told the truth all along.

"Rick!" Popuri's cheery voice called from the front stoop. "Rick!" Rick turned, giving a stretch as Popuri said: "Mom says it's time for breakfast."

Finished with his work, Rick headed for the stoop, finding his mouth watering in anticipation of one of his mother's breakfasts. After the night he had, he knew he needed it.

"You don't look so good," Popuri noted, still sounding cheerful but trying to pass her tone off as a matter-of-factly one. Rick gave her a light shove on the arm as he passed her on the stoop.

"It's called a hangover, Popuri," he snipped. Popuri stood out on the stoop and huffed, watching her brother cross into the kitchen. Truth be told, his insides wretched as they always did before he found himself approaching Karen to apologize for what she called his pigheadedness. But Popuri, being used to a crabby but otherwise kind older brother, didn't seem too shaken up by the time she took her seat at the table. Although Rick glowered a bit, the family enjoyed their time together.

After thanking his mother and helping her and Popuri clean up, Rick headed outside to finish his work. After that, he started his search for Karen. At that time in the morning, he thought, Karen would most definitely be at home. So he passed the wooden fence of the Poultry Ranch, turned the road in the direction of Barley Yodel's ranch, and then hooked a left and headed through Rose Square.

But, as he noticed, Karen wasn't waiting outside on the bench. Of course she's not, he reminded himself. Hopefully, she'd be inside, and with that thought, Rick headed for the door and entered the Supermarket.

The ringing of the little bells above the door frame didn't seem to faze Jeff and Sasha, who both seemed entirely focused. Rick stood around for a moment, looking about sheepishly.

"Hey," he finally said. He lurched a bit when Jeff and Sasha looked up the papers and calculators splayed out on the counter, not wanting to fall under their admonishing stares. "Umm... uhh..." he started. "Is Karen around?"

"She went out," Sasha replied at once.

Rick nodded. "Ahhh... okay, then," he said. "I'll see you guys later." He backed out the door, letting it slam behind him. Without another word, Jeff and Sasha turned their focus back to their bills.

Rick, meanwhile, kept searching for Karen. Around then, though, Elli found herself with some time within her schedule to invite Karen to her house for lunch. Usually, Makoto would've dropped in as well, but Elli figured he was either too embarrassed from their kiss the night before, too busy with his farm work, or both. Most likely both, she thought.

Karen and Elli talked for a while about a romantic movie on television from the night before, both laughing and trading barbs about disillusionment. All the while, Elli's grandmother, Ellen, joined in the laughter, while Elli's seven-year-old brother ate in baffled silence. Occasionally, he mumbled something along the lines of: "I don't get it."

Holding her sandwich, Karen said: "And hopefully, you won't have to hear your girlfriend talking about it when you get older, Stu." Stu pouted at that.

"From first hand experience, she means," Elli added, looking across the table at her brother. But Stu didn't stop pouting.

"Girls are soooo gross," he replied pointedly. Karen smirked at him.

"You think so now," she told him. But by that time, he took to cramming as many apple slices into his mouth as possible.

"Chew your food, Stu," Elli told him, once again looking up across the table. Because she said that, seemingly, Stu shoved another apple slice into his mouth. Juice dribbled down his chin as he grinned at her. "You look very handsome like that," she added dryly. "The girls are gonna love you-"

"Eww!" Stu said, flecking bits of apple on the table and on Ellen, who smiled and shook her head as she reached for her napkin.

"-but then they'll realize how bad your table manners are," Elli finished, giving him her usual cock-eyed stare.

Lunch continued on after that, and after they cleaned up, Elli and Karen sat back down at the table as Ellen took Stu to the living room for his favorite television show. Then Elli looked across at Karen, smiled wryly and said:

"Now, was it just me, or was there an audience outside-" She motioned at the window, "-last night?"

Karen rolled her eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she lied. Elli took her turn to give Karen an eye roll. Then she leaned forth, and looking concerned, said:

"Anyway, I thought I'd tell you what happened between me and Rick at the festival."

Furrowing her brow, Karen thought back to the festival. Then with a slight gasp, she looked up in realization. "That's right!" she replied. "Tell me, what did you say to him, anyway?" She screwed up her face a bit. "He's been awful quiet these past few days. In fact, Popuri says all he does is either sits up in his room, works, or drinks at the Inn." She frowned at that thought.

Elli snickered as she imagined Popuri pouting and complaining to Karen about how "boring" and "standoffish" Rick was being over the past few days. "I hope I didn't get him in a rut," Elli continued. "I just told him he shouldn't be so stubborn."

"This coming from a girl with a stubborn streak a mile wide," Karen commented. Elli grinned lopsidedly.

"I refuse to acknowledge my stubbornness," she said jokingly. She held out her hand as she spoke. "Pot. Kettle. Black," she added. "But my point's valid regardless." Her eyes went convincingly wide as she spoke.

"Thanks, Elli," Karen said. Musing, she added: "I know he's gotten all quiet because something's gotten through to him. He always does that." She grinned, but Elli could see sadness behind it.

"It seems like he knows he should trust you," Elli told her. "That's what I told him."

For a good moment, Karen didn't say anything. But Elli could see her expression softening, until she finally said: "You stood up for me, Elli." She almost seemed speechless. "I don't know what to say..."

"Well," Elli started. "I asked Makoto about this, but... maybe you can tell me what happened that night you slept at his house." Karen thought about it for a moment, and then nodded.

But Elli knew what Karen meant when she said: "Well, you're right in trusting him." She smiled to herself. "Really, nothing went on," Karen continued. "But we did polish off that bottle of tequila."

"Just you and Makoto?" Elli asked, looking baffled. Karen shook her head.

"Cliff was there too," she added nonchalantly. "Then, I guess, Mackie sent him home. Then he let me have his bed." But then, she looked liked she regretted saying the last part, not knowing what Elli would think.

"Makoto's good like that," Elli said, slowly smiling as she cast her gaze at the slowly revolving ceiling fan. Finding herself relieved, Karen nodded in agreement. "A bit daffy, though," she added dryly.

"I'm just glad I didn't say it," Karen replied with a smirk. She noticed Elli taking a look up at the clock and frowning. Then Elli turned back to her.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I gotta get back to work now."

"Don't apologize because you've got to work," Karen told her, giving a shrug. "I need to help my parents out today." She frowned slightly. "They've got a load of bills to go through, so they want me to find a gallery owner in the area."

"Your dad's going to sell his paintings?" Elli beamed, a smile on her face as she stood up. "That's great!"

"Oh, I hope," Karen replied, rising from her seat. They pushed in their chairs and headed to the foyer, but not before saying goodbye to Ellen and Stu. As they pulled on their shoes, Elli had the feeling that Makoto was nearby.

"Hey, Karen?" Elli asked. "Can I get a mint?" Karen reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out a tin of mints, opening it up for Elli and holding it out to her. Thanking her, Elli took three or four and popped them into her mouth.

"You asked for 'a' mint," Karen pointed out as she slipped the tin back into her pocket.

"Oh, you get them from your store," Elli replied, turning away from the door handle. "Besides, I can make it fair game. Next time I mooch off your mints, I'll see if I can get you some free Vicodin or something."

"What?" Karen huffed playfully as she put her hands on her hips. "I don't need your Vicodin or whatever it is, you no-good dope pusher!"

Elli just laughed at the preposterousness of the image of herself trying to get innocent kids hooked on prescription drugs. Then she reached out and pulled open the door, slowly turning to head outside. It seemed she forgot her hunches about Makoto being around, because she jumped back at the sight of him on her stoop. "Makoto!" she said, fiddling nervously with her sweater sleeve. "You--"

"I was gonna knock," he deadpanned.

Blushing a bit and letting go of her sleeve, Elli said: "Yeah, but I thought you'd be busy now."

Makoto nodded at that. "You know it," he told her. Sniffing at the air, he added: "What smells like mint?" Elli felt the tips of her ears burn up, so she instead shrugged as the three of them stepped off the porch. But Makoto quickly smirked at her before he turned to Karen and said: "Any word from Rick?"

"No," she replied. But then, exchanging a smirk with Elli, she added: "But he can't hold out much longer, can he?"

Makoto shrugged. "I guess not," he said.

The three of them decided it was best to keep walking, so Karen could get back to the Supermarket and Elli could get back to work at the Clinic. After a few moments carrying on in silence, Elli said: "By the way, guys, when are you coming in for your yearly checkups?"

"Maybe Thursday or Friday," Karen answered.

"Definitely Thursday or Friday," Elli told her. Then she looked over at Makoto. "What about you, Makoto?" she asked.

"Thursday's best," he replied.

"Good part is," Karen started, catching Elli's attention, "you've already given Makoto that oral examination." She smirked, despite being met by Elli's look, somewhere between irked and flustered, and Makoto's, a blank stare. Then Makoto rolled his eyes.

"There's voyeurs. Everywhere," he muttered as the three of them stopped outside the Supermarket. Karen looked from Makoto to Elli and back again. Elli's ears had turned even redder, while Makoto struggled to look at nothing in particular.

"But I'll leave you guys this time," Karen added, grinning faintly. "Gotta get back on the phone again." With that, the three of them exchanged goodbyes as Karen trotted the rest of the way up to the Supermarket.

Once the door shut behind her, Elli said: "Ever notice how we're a magnet for voyeurism?" She smiled at Makoto. "I mean, neither of us has two heads or an alarmingly noticeable case of gangrene, right?" Makoto smiled wryly at that.

"Hopefully, you'd be able to tell," he replied in a deadpan drawl as he looked over at her. Elli watched as he pulled an envelope from his pocket. Then he quietly excused himself and headed over for the mailbox. As he yanked open the creaky, rusty chute and slid in the envelope, he said: "I'm sending my reply to my dad."

"I'm sure he'll love to hear from you," Elli told him, smiling. Makoto nodded at that, and then turned to face her.

"Yeah," he said. Looking aside, he added: "I wrote what I've been up to, about making friends with Karen, Cliff, and you." He smiled wryly. "Then a lot about you." Elli found her cheeks going pink, but then noticed Makoto looking serious as he said: "I hope he likes that I'm making friends for once." He looked to Elli, waiting for her opinion.

"He'll definitely love that," Elli said confidently. "Why shouldn't he?"

Makoto shrugged. "You're right," he replied.

But he didn't say anything else, and silence fell after that. All the while, they exchanged a few gazes, but neither would initiate the conversation. Instead, they hovered by the mailbox and the bench. Finally, Makoto spoke.

"So..." he started, peaking her attention. Mumbling a bit, he added: "How 'bout we... ummm... call off this stalemate?"

Elli smirked. "Brilliant idea," she replied in a tone of mock sarcasm. But when Makoto looked over, he noticed her cheeks flushing pink. Her smirk turned to barely contained ecstasy, a kind he found to be contagious. Without another word, Makoto took her hands in his and shared a long gaze with her.

"I've been thinking about what I wanted to say to you," he said. As he felt her grip his hands a bit tighter, he added: "But I couldn't think of anything. Besides the obvious, of course."

At that moment, Elli didn't care about what he held out on saying, knowing he'd say it once he felt he could. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and eased him forth, while he gently pulled her close and met her advance.

Neither of them seemed to notice Manna, who on her way to Rose Square stopped and watched them kissing with an expression crossed between incredulousness and glee. The more she had to gossip about that afternoon, the better.

After a few moments, they pulled away from each other, and Elli settled back onto her feet. Still, they shared a gaze, and then just one more kiss before they had to go about their afternoons.

**xXxX**

The afternoon at the Clinic started out as another slow one, and Elli found she had to alleviate the boredom, as usual. She borrowed a medical textbook from the Doctor and caught up on her studying, finally able to do it then after spending most of the previous evening flopped on the couch and grumbling about Makoto as Ellen laughed lightly and told her not to fret so much.

"I am _not _fretting!" Elli had protested as she sat upright. But Ellen, watching from her favorite rocking chair, just smiled and shook her head haplessly as Elli sank back into the sofa and hid her face behind a cushion.

Thankfully, she thought, she didn't have much use for fretting.

Shaking her head, Elli turned her focus back to the chapter on connective tissue disorders. She only managed to read through a few pages when the Clinic door swung open, and Stu bounded inside.

"Elli!" he called, his dark hair bouncing as he made his way up to the desk. Elli stood up and patiently said:

"Now, Stu, you know you can't come here when I'm working." She could tell nothing was wrong with him, but of course, that wasn't his reason for going to the Clinic. He pouted, and protested.

"C'mon, sis! Gram's dozed off, and I have no one to play with!"

Elli looked flustered. "Well..." she started. "I'll be home in a few hours."

Stamping the floor, Stu said: "But I'm bored!"

"You'll have to wait," Elli told him sheepishly.

"C'mon!"

"Stu!" Elli snapped, leaving Stu looking shocked. "Go. Home," she continued. "I'll be home soon to make dinner."

Sniffling, Stu screwed up his face and muttered: "Stupid meanie..." under his breath as he stalked out of the Clinic. Hearing him throw the door shut behind him left Elli feeling her heart sink. With a sigh, she tossed a passing glance in the direction of the partitions, only to find the Doctor watching her.

"I bet you saw the whole thing," she said miserably. The Doctor nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "But I know where you're coming from."

Elli sighed. "I feel terrible. I shouldn't lose my temper with Stu."

Shaking his head, the Doctor replied:. "You weren't losing your temper." Elli glanced up, and could see sincerity in his eyes. "Trust me," he told her.

"Yeah," Elli sighed, nodding. "You're right." But when she glanced up with a smile, she noticed a flash of a forlorn look in his eyes, a look she knew all too well. Almost aware of her notice, he quietly excused himself and headed back into his office.

Still sighing, Elli turned back to her book. She only made it through a few more pages when Jeff came in, looking sick. Tuesday, she reminded herself, smiling and shaking her head. Jeff always came in on Tuesdays, one of his days off from the supermarket.

"Is everything okay, Jeff?" Elli asked him, looking up from her book as Jeff sat down in one of the waiting room's plush chairs. Jeff looked up, smiling weakly.

"My stomach's been acting up," he told her. Then he sighed, sinking into his seat. Elli thought it best to cheer him up.

"Karen told me you're looking for a gallery owner," she said. "You're going to sell your paintings?" Jeff did seem to perk up at that.

"Yeah!" he replied as he sat upright. "Karen's been calling a few from a few cities, and one of them agreed to come out all this way."

Elli gave a wry grin. "Who would've thought someone would want to come all the way out to South--" But she was interrupted when the Doctor stepped out from his office again. "Doctor!" she said, looking over at him.

"I forgot it was Tuesday," he said, giving Elli a faint smile. Then he looked over at Jeff and said: "Come on, Jeff. We'll run through your check-up."

Nodding, Jeff rose to his feet and followed the Doctor to his office, still looking a bit sick. Elli turned, opened up the file cabinet behind her, and fished out Jeff's records before shutting the cabinet again. She then turned back to her desk and opened it up, and then took out a pen and started writing. Jeff usually came in every Tuesday for a check up due to his susceptibility to kidney stones. Thankfully for him, the pain more often than not proved to be a stomachache, something he was also susceptible to due to his constant worries about his store.

**xXxX**

Meanwhile, Makoto found himself some time later that afternoon after his chores to relax at home. He sank into his couch and flipped on the T.V expecting to see nothing interesting, but something instantly caught his attention. A lady in a pink wig and far too new-looking overalls smiled at the camera, and Makoto immediately recognized her as Farmer Fran.

Farmer Fran ran a farming advice show on public access. Sure, Makoto found her information helpful back when he couldn't tell turnip seeds from potato seeds. Fran could tell farmers which end of the hoe was up, but Joe's diary and his charts about optimum soil conditions for each crop he grew helped Makoto out a lot more. To Makoto, Joe was even something of a scientist.

Makoto turned his attention to the show, expecting same episode from a few seasons ago as he knew the channel ran them in syndicated loops. But instead of the usual scene; Fran standing in front of an obviously painted backdrop and engrossed in talking to a sock puppet, he saw something else.

"And as I promised," Fran said, looking comfortable in a plush chair, "I've got the..." She paused as a drumroll rattled, and laughed quickly before she continued. "Joe Jogolovich on the show today!"

Makoto almost expected a roar of cheers and applause, as if Joe on the Farmer Fran show was the equivalent of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. But nothing happened when the camera panned to reveal Joe kicked back in his own plush chair. After noticing his sandy hair and younger-looking face, Makoto figured it must've been the early or mid-seventies.

"So, Joe..." Fran began as she leaned forward. "I hear you're always busy there on your farm, so let me tell you that I'm elated today, because you could make it here."

Joe flashed a grin at the camera before he replied. "The pleasure's mine," he said in his gentle, yet strong voice.

Makoto couldn't believe his eyes. It had been over ten years since he last saw Joe, and he found he could hardly remember what he looked like. But seeing him on T.V brought his immense presence to his mind, his swagger, and his grin, reserved and confident. For Makoto, seeing Joe on the Farmer Fran show was the first time he'd really seen him as more than a memory.

"You're rather handsome," Fran said to Joe as she leaned forward again. Joe chuckled and grinned at the camera. That time, Makoto found something strange about his usual confident smile, but he couldn't figure out what. "You're a nice guy too, of course. Have you ever considered settling down and starting a family?" Then she batted her eyelashes at Joe. Joe grinned again.

"I've considered it," he said.

"Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy the thrills of marriage?" Fran asked, looking even more enthusiastic.

"I think so," Joe told her. That time, Makoto found Joe almost looked a little forlorn, and that his grin was just a front. "But all the ladies tell me the same thing." He paused, waiting for Fran to pipe up.

"And what's that?"

"That they shouldn't be messing around with a married man!" Joe said. "Y'know, they're always telling me I'm married to my work."

Makoto felt a twinge in his insides at that, thinking no one could possibly want to be married to their work. But then, someone came to mind, someone who was so busy with his work all year to take the time to write to his only son. His eyes wandered to his father's letter, sitting before him on the coffee table, and he found himself clenching his fist.

All the while, Joe went on with some responses to questions about his farm work. Fran kept glancing at her teleprompter before she asked each question, and Joe answered each time with confidence. Makoto did watch him, but found himself tuning out his words. He couldn't imagine how a guy loved by all the townsfolk as Joe was could be at all like his father.

Finally, the Farmer Fran show ended and the five o'clock local news began. As the anchorman read from a list of local events, Makoto found the remote and flipped through the channels. People's Court, a John Wayne movie, and then a few moments of the Crocodile Hunter tiptoeing through an underbrush during which a chill came over him from the pit of his stomach, a feeling he couldn't figure out, and found he couldn't stand. With a sigh, he switched off the television.

After a moment or two, he got up and headed for the cool evening breeze outside, finding himself in need of a good walk around Strawberry Fields to get his head clear. The skies didn't look too inviting, but anything seemed better than a restless evening at home.

When he stepped outside, a girl's voice called out to him. "Makoto!"

Makoto knew who it was instantly, so he darted down the porch stairs and turned in the direction of the entrance gate to see Elli standing there. "Elli!" he called, smiling but unable to shake off his woebegone mood, something Elli could see in his eyes as they came closer. Then they caught each other in a hug, and shared a kiss.

But when they broke away, Elli looked up and asked: "What's wrong, Makoto?"

Unsure if Elli would want to hear his suspicions of the revered Joe Jogolovich, Makoto shook his head and mumbled: "Nothing," as he he took her hand and started walking.

But Elli stayed still, and gave Makoto a tug. "Makoto," she said sternly, meeting his eyes. "I think I know when there's something wrong with you."

"I don't feel well," Makoto lied, diverting his gaze. Elli looked him up and down playfully.

"Looks like chicken pox," she joked dryly. "Now, what's wrong with you?"

Turning back to her, Makoto asked: "Man, you don't let up, do you?" Elli shook her head and smiled wryly.

"You know, you're the second person who's called me stubborn today," she noted offhandedly. "I guess that makes me stubborn."

Makoto rolled his eyes. "News to me," he told her sardonically. "Anyway..."

"Tell me what's wrong," Elli cut in,

Shaking his head haplessly and knowing he was beat, Makoto said: "Fine. I saw the old man on that Farmer Fran show today..." Elli nodded. "... And he said something that..." He struggled with the words, "...kinda got to me."

A moment or two of silence passed before Elli asked: "What was it?"

"He said something that sounded like something my dad would say," Makoto continued. Deciding they weren't going anywhere for a while, they ambled over to the fence as Makoto said: "And it just doesn't make sense to me."

"Why not?" Elli asked as they leaned up on the fence.

With a sigh, Makoto said: "I've never really told you about my dad." He motioned at the mailbox near the house, but Elli kept her eyes on him. "That letter he wrote me last week was the first letter he's written me all year," he told her idly. Having never told anyone that, he found he couldn't help but blurt it out to her.

She placed her hand on his arm, gazing up at him. "Oh, Makoto..." she started. "And you're his only kid, too."

Makoto nodded, letting out another sigh. "He's always working," he continued, casting his gaze at the wild, swaying grass behind the backyards ahead. "It's always been like that, ever since my mom died." He paused. "I mean, we always had everything we needed." Another pause. "But then I saw the old man on T.V today, and he went on about how he worked all the time, too."

He shook his head, turning back to Elli. "I mean, my dad never got married again, and never even looked to date another woman after Mom died. That was nearly seventeen years ago."

"It's really hard for some people, I think," Elli told him. "It sounds like he really loved her.

"I don't doubt it," Makoto replied, looking her in the eye. "I can't remember it personally, but Dad gets pretty reminiscent about Mom once in a while." Propping his elbows on the fence, he rested his head on the palms of his hands as Elli came closer and rubbed soothing circles on his back. "But, yeah," Makoto continued. "Dad just sort of snapped after Mom died. He'd always been a really hard worker, but after, he kicked it up."

He mused on his thoughts. "But then I saw the old man, and the way he talked about working, and how Farmer Fran joked about him being married to his work..." Diverting his gaze, he added: "It rubbed me the wrong way." With that, he looked to Elli, awaiting her answer. She looked thoughtful.

"I think you've got a point," she finally said. "Though... Joe was in town a lot. He did stop in to see everyone as often as possible."

Makoto shook his head. "I'm not doubting that," he replied. "I'm just a bit suspicious that someone..."

"Someone as kind and hardworking as Joe never got married and had kids after working so hard to make his farm as great as it was?" Elli finished, motioning with her hands.

"Exactly."

Elli shrugged. "I really don't know what to say about that," she answered. Makoto gave a slight scowl, casting his gaze out ahead again.

"Well, it bugs me," he muttered, thinking back to his list of things that made him suspicious of Joe Jogolovich. Twenty some-odd missing pages in the diary of his he found during the past autumn, and then, Joe never getting married or having kids, and on top of that, leaving his farm to a penpal he met only once in person. Maybe, Makoto thought, if Joe had known he killed a fellow cadet at school, he would've found a bum off the street to take on the farm instead, or he would've put an ad in the paper about the place being up for grabs.

Watching Makoto stare off into nothingness, Elli kept rubbing his back until she finally said: "Don't worry about it right now, Makoto. You'll find out the answer someday."

Makoto smiled faintly. "I guess you're right," he replied. Trying to add some levity to his voice he added: "You never steer me wrong." Then he faced her "Let's head to your place. Don't wanna keep your grandmother and Stu waiting too much longer."

Elli gave a lopsided smile, taking Makoto's hand as he reached for hers. "Oh, Stu's probably gonna go on about how he's "starving" right now," she said, heading with Makoto for the entrance gate. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"I'm looking forward to it," Makoto deadpanned, smirking. Elli couldn't help but meet his eyes and break out into a warm smile.

**xXxX**

Whenever he could that day, Rick looked all over town for Karen, but came up short before he found he had to pay a visit to the blacksmith for his work. Dejected, he slumped into the bar around the time of the church bell's ringing and made his way up the counter. Doug looked up as Rick slumped into a stool, and said gruffly: "You're here early."

"Well, you know I always bring my tools in for a check today," Rick explained, sounding glum. Although Doug listened while polishing a glass, seemingly not paying too much attention, he gave a grunt of acknowledgment to the tone of Rick's voice. "So yeah," Rick finished. "I got done early,"

"Well, you know I don't serve 'till seven," Doug told him, without looking up from his glass.

"That's alright," Rick replied. "I think I'm sick of drinking for a while anyway."

Doug smirked. "Suit yourself," he said gruffly.

"I'll take some iced tea," Rick said brightly. With a nod and another acknowledging grunt, Doug headed off the back to set a pot of tea to boil. A few minutes later, he came back and set the drink before him on a coaster. "Thanks, Doug," Rick said, taking to his tea.

But Rick didn't notice creaking of the old doors, nor did he register the sound of someone's footsteps until Karen had sat in the stool beside him. "Karen!" he exclaimed, turning to face her. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you around in days!"

Karen gave him a crinkled smile. "I heard you've been looking for me," she replied, doing her best to say it as silkily as possible.

"All over the place. Whenever I could between work, of course," Rick replied. "I know since it's Tuesday, you're usually up and about, so--"

Karen smirked. "I was at home. And I figured you'd be here."

Rick laughed. "I guess you've got me pinned, then," he told her.

"I guess I do," Karen said warmly. For a moment, they sat together in silence. Doug mostly kept to himself while cleaning glasses at the other side of the counter, but he smiled inwardly upon seeing the couple together again. After seeing Rick by himself in the bar night after night, he found he couldn't help it.

"Maybe you could open us a bottle of something early," Karen said, smiling slyly. Doug looked up from his glass as Karen added: "Just a drink each tonight. You know, to celebrate."

Playfully shaking his head, Doug pulled out two wine glasses, picked a good bottle of Duke's wine from the shelf, and served them, smirking all the while.

**xXxX**

**Good news- A few half-written chapters are queued up.**

**Bad news- This chapter's not really Ringo Starr approved. I lied. ... Please don't hurt me. :(  
**

**Anyway, thanks to all who read, and thanks to the reviewers (Terra89, shadowgoddess, Rhianwen, pvc). Until next time!**


	9. A Prelude

**Strawberry Fields- Saving you up to seventy percent on your auto insurance**

**Alright, so, before we start, I'm gonna let you know that a certain character's been overdue for a chapter of her own. In this chapter, you'll get quite a few more details here and there on some people in Mineral Town, including something on Joe that Makoto would probably like to know. I pass through a couple of days in this chapter after having a day per chapter for the past few updates. Anyway, this is sort of a prelude and/or a kind of Part 1 to the next chapter. You'll figure out who's getting a chapter in due time. Happy reading!  
**

* * *

Makoto and Elli made it to Elli's house just as Ellen poked her head out of the kitchen and said: "Elli, dearie, could you and Makoto bring out the plates?" 

"Sure thing, Gram!" Elli called from the foyer while she and Makoto kicked off their shoes. They quickly pushed their sneakers off to the corner, and then headed for the kitchen. "Gram wanted me to go out and bring you over," Elli explained along the way. She picked up two plates from the light wood countertop, and Makoto did the same. As they headed through the brightly lit foyer again on the way to the dining room, Elli added: "So she took over the cooking for tonight."

"That's sweet of her," Makoto said quietly as he and Elli gingerly set the plates on the table. But before he could say anything else, Stu came trotting out of the living room and gave the back of his seat a tug.

"Hi, stupid boyfriend," he said, without looking at Makoto. Makoto simply turned to Elli and arched an eyebrow. She furrowed her brow, looking scandalized for a few moments, before she looked up at Makoto and asked:

"Would you believe me if I told you I had no part in him saying that?"

"No," Makoto deadpanned. Elli smiled and nodded.

"Good," she said. "We're on the same page, then." Then she turned and pointed at Stu as Ellen hobbled into the room. "And if I have something to say to Makoto," she started, "I'll tell him that."

"You called Makoto stupid," Stu mumbled as he climbed into his seat. Placing her hands on the table and leaning forward, Elli said:

"Well, Stu, when you start dating, you'll under--"

"I don't wanna hear it!" Stu cut in. Giving a flustered eye roll as she laughed inwardly, Elli took her seat next to Makoto, who watched her.

"No part in him saying that?" he asked flatly. "That's a good one, Elli."

"_About the kiss, or about our relationship_?" Elli quoted sarcastically, getting Makoto to groan. "That was a good one, too, Makoto," she added, a cheeky smile on her face.

"Oh, go put a sock in it," Makoto told her, his smile undermining the dark tone he tried adding to his voice.

Ellen shook her head haplessly, having found herself used to their bickering by that point. After all, they would have a go at each other nearly every night Makoto came by for dinner over the past autumn and winter. Ellen found herself amused, but Stu poked at his tuna and sulkily asked: "Why're you guys always fighting?"

Elli sighed, resting her fork on her plate. "Oh, Stu, we're not fighting like we're angry or anything," she explained, sincerity in her eyes. But when Stu didn't look convinced, she found herself troubled finding the right words, looking to Makoto briefly. "We fight because we care about each other," she finally answered.

"I guess that makes sense..." Stu said. Then he forked a piece of tuna into his mouth.

"But we're only joking now," Elli added, trading a smirk with Makoto. Stu looked satisfied after that.

"That's good," he told her. Then he turned to Ellen. "Right, Gram?"

"That's right, dearie," Ellen replied. They continued eating for a while after that, until Makoto piped up.

"Hey, Ellen?" he asked. Finishing a sip of her drink, Ellen smiled at him. "I saw the old man on T.V today," he said. "You know, Old Man Joe." Ellen nodded. "On the Farmer Fran show..." He knew he was stalling, but he couldn't bring himself to ask the question, even after he got himself into it.

"I remember when he went off to film that," Ellen noted. "My daughter, Elli's mother, was about ten or eleven, I think." She mused. "Maybe a little older."

Makoto nodded, but fell silent. Thankfully, Elli picked up for him.

"Makoto's feeling down because he saw Joe on T.V..." she started. "He's worried about how Joe really was." Makoto watched as Ellen nodded.

"Yeah," Makoto continued. "I mean, I know he was great and everything..." He paused. "But it bothers me that he worked non-stop to make his farm everything he did make it, while he didn't even have anyone to carry it on for him except me." He and Elli shared a brief glance, and then Elli added:

"I agree with him."

"You don't need to worry, Makoto," Ellen said assuringly. "Joe just worked really hard because that was the ethic instilled in him."

Makoto nodded at that and looked down at his tuna, finding himself unsettled with the answer. But since Ellen knew Joe for a long time, what she said about him had to be true. Not feeling much like bringing it up anymore, Makoto apologized for mentioning it in the first place.

"Oh, Makoto," Ellen said. "You needn't apologize. It's only natural you'd have questions about Joe." Makoto nodded at that. Afterwards, dinner continued with a conversation about how a couple from the mainland called the clinic, inquiring about the possibility of having the wife give birth to their baby there. "It's been a while," Ellen observed. "Not since you first started working, right Elli?"

Elli finished a sip of her drink. "Nah. There was that one couple who came by the winter before Makoto got here. Remember, Gram?"

"Oh right... I forgot about them," Ellen said.

"It's been over a year, though," Elli continued. "I hope I can still remember what to do." Though Elli assisted the Doctor at the clinic, she was in charge when it came to delivering babies. As she explained to Makoto one day the year before, the women in her family specialized in midwifery.

"You'll know what to do," Makoto told her assuringly. "You always do." When Elli looked over at him, he could see in her smile that she felt at least a little better about herself.

**xXxX**

After sharing with Makoto a few goodnight kisses at the door, Elli headed back into the cozy living room, where Ellen rocked in her chair as she knitted a pair of socks. Stu, lying on the throw rug and playing with his toy robots, sat up. "You guys are gross," he said.

"Yeah, I've heard it already, Stu," Elli replied as she reached down and mussed his hair. Stu groaned, and then flipped back onto this stomach as Elli picked up a medical textbook from the arm of the sofa and sat down. A few minutes passed, and when Elli found herself deep into her reading, Ellen piped up.

"Everyone knew Joe worked so hard because there was a woman involved."

Elli did a double-take, blinking. "What...?" She looked up at her grandmother, as if unsure of what she had just heard.

"Well, us elderly folks thought that," Ellen added offhandedly. Then turning her sudden revelation into a hit-and-run, she turned her focus back on her knitting.

"Grandma!" Elli gasped, pushing aside her textbook as she shifted over to face her. "You said..." Ellen looked up as Elli scrunched up her face a bit. Musing, she put her fingers to the side of her face and added: "Well... You kind of... 'embellished' things a bit when you told Makoto what you told him, didn't you?

Ellen gave a laugh. "I don't want Makoto to be worried about Joe, dearie," she said. "That's just too long a story."

"I thought the story was "Joe was great, the end"," Elli said, shrugging. But Ellen let out another laugh, and then sighed. Elli found herself mildly vexed.

"That's the story for a lot of the younger people," Ellen replied. "But if you ask the people who knew him when he was younger, you'll hear more."

And with that, Ellen went back to her knitting again. Elli found herself taken aback by her grandmother's cryptic words, knowing if Makoto had heard her speak of Joe that way, he would find ways to "subtly" grill the grandparents in town. She thought it best not to tell him at all, but still found herself perplexed as she tried reading her textbook.

**xXxX**

Over the next couple of days, Makoto and Elli found themselves enjoying their relationship more, even if it became a subject for Manna's latest gossip-fest. Sticking to her vow, Elli resisted any urge to tell Makoto what Ellen had said about Joe. Of course, after spending time with him, she would quickly dismiss that notion.

On Friday, Makoto went to the Clinic. During his yearly check-up, the Doctor remarked that he hadn't put on any muscle from working on the farm, and wondered if he was working at all. Makoto found himself a bit put off, unsure if the usually serious Doctor was joking or not. After his physical, the Doctor let Elli run Makoto's much-needed optometry exam under his supervision.

"It's about time you came in for this," Elli told him sweetly as she rolled out the optometry equipment from the storage closet. Makoto sank into the chair, grumbling about how he didn't need glasses. After Elli ran the tests, the three of them headed into the lobby as the Doctor examined the charts and told Makoto the results. Makoto's face fell into a frown, as the Doctor added:

"In other words... you're pretty nearsighted. I think you can do alright with contact lenses, though." He looked over at Elli. "I'll write him a referral so you can send out the prescription." Elli nodded at that. Turning back to Makoto, the Doctor continued. "You should get your contacts in the mail after about a week." Makoto nodded at that. Noticing Cliff waiting in one of the plush chairs, he acknowledged him tacitly. Cliff grinned and said:

"You're getting nearsighted? They're right, what they say in church."

Everyone stopped. The Doctor coughed, and then shook his head sheepishly. Elli gave a lopsided, nervous smile, but then noticed that Makoto didn't look at all happy. But before he could say anything, Elli looked up at him and remarked: "You know that's between you and God, Makoto."

"Yes, thank you, Cliff," the Doctor added uncomfortably as he reached over and placed the chart on Elli's desk. He turned to Makoto. "Anyway... are you alright with getting contacts?"

"Sounds good," Makoto told the Doctor, nodding. Then he looked back at Cliff and cut him a glare. Turning back, he saw Elli give a mock sigh.

"That's a shame," she said. "I think you'd look cute in glasses."

Makoto wanted to say something along the lines of: "Don't I look cute already?", but he felt the Doctor's eye on him, and decided not to say anything at all. Instead, he shrugged lazily, and then got up from the chair, only to see the Doctor turn away.

**xXxX**

A few days later, Makoto ran into Gray when he decided to get a bite to eat with Cliff at the Inn. Gray decided to sit down at their table while Cliff and Makoto were talking about the Manchester-Liverpool soccer match from the night before, and after mumbling his greetings tossed the hoodie Makoto had left at Anna's house across the table.

"Thanks," Makoto said as he caught his sweater. He draped it over the back of his chair.

"How's it going, Gray?" Cliff asked. "See the match last night?" Gray nodded, his mouth in a scowl.

"To hell with Manchester," he muttered. "We need Liverpool to win." Meanwhile, Makoto saw, out of the corner of his eye, a young couple he didn't recognize coming down the stairs of the Inn. They promptly headed for the door as Gray and Cliff kept talking about the match, and Makoto noticed the woman was very pregnant, and that the man looked frantic as he held open the door for his wife.

After bit more talk on the match, Gray spoke to Makoto over his plate of eggs and bacon. "Yeah, by the way," he started, catching Makoto's attention. "Mary told me that her mom wants you by again 'today'."

"Dude," Cliff said, tilting his head as he looked over at Makoto. "What are you doing going over there? Don't tell me that's your punishment for burning your fields, man." Then he turned to Gray. "No offense to Mary's mom and all."

Gray shrugged. "I've been dating Mary since fall, and Anna still doesn't like me," he said in a low voice. "I can tell." A few moments of silence during which Makoto and Cliff really didn't want to say anything passed before he spoke again. "But yeah, she wants you over today."

"What are you doing over there, Mackie?" Cliff asked again, that time with levity. But Makoto didn't seem to find it funny.

"Why, drinking tea and helping her with her groceries," he replied dryly. Then he glowered at Cliff, who in turn groaned.

"Fine," he replied, taking a huge bite of his toast. The boys went through the rest of their breakfast without conversation.

After breakfast, Makoto headed back to Strawberry Fields to do some watering, though the skies threatened more rain. He went with his instincts and watered, but didn't do much. Then he spent extra time spraying liquid plant feed on the soil within a small enclosure, feeling proud to see some buds.

"Looking good, huh?" he asked Ein, who sniffed the ground near Makoto. "Think she'll like them?" Ein looked up at that, and Makoto looked at his buddy and said: "You know what I mean, right?"

All the while, he kept thinking of Elli. It was her birthday that day, and though he had found her gifts weeks in advance, he still found himself nervous about giving them to her. Then, he thought of heading to the Supermarket, where he could gift-wrap them and possibly get Karen and Sasha's word on them. Of course, he probably should've done that sooner.

**xXxX**

Thankfully for Makoto, the Supermarket was empty save for the Cardone family. He didn't want too many people knowing what he would give Elli for her birthday. The Cardones and Makoto crowded around the counter as Makoto pulled out a small, white, cardboard cube from a brown paper bag he carried. Smirking at him all the while, Karen opened up the box and peeked inside.

"Awww... widdle Mackiekins got his girlfriend a teddy bear..." Karen cooed, pulling out a light brown teddy bear for Sasha to see. Sasha seemed to think it cute of Makoto as well, beaming at him. Finding himself overwhelmed by the looks he was getting from Karen and Sasha, Makoto looked to Jeff nervously. Jeff quietly chuckled and shrugged sheepishly, and for a moment, Makoto noticed him looking tired. Then he saw Karen smirking at him, and diverted his gaze.

"I'm no 'widdle Mackiekins'," he grumbled, only for her to reach up and muss up his hopelessly messy mop of hair. After a moment or two of enduring Karen's playful stare, he added: "She loves teddy bears like you wouldn't believe."

"Oh, I know that already," Karen replied lazily. "She can't seem to get rid of her collection, either. Now she's gonna have a harder time unloading teddy bears later on, what with another." She waved the teddy bear at him.

"It even looks a little like you," Sasha pointed out. Karen gasped and gave a look of mock excitement.

"Awwww..." she cooed again. "It does!"

"I do not look like a teddy bear," Makoto said flatly.

"We mean it looks like you, dork," Karen shot back as she rolled her eyes. With that, she gingerly placed the teddy bear back in its box, and closed the lid. "Here, Dad," she said, handing the box to Jeff. Jeff took it, and headed out from behind the counter to a small table in the corner, where he started wrapping it.

After a few moments, Karen asked: "So, did you get her a card or anything?" Makoto shook his head. "Why not?"

"Can't I just give her a gift?" Makoto asked. Karen sighed, and shook her head as she groaned.

"How about a letter?" Sasha insisted gently. "You could always write her something."

"But I could just talk to her," he replied pointedly. "I mean, I'd rather do that." Laughing inwardly and dismissing him with a wave of her hand, Sasha looked over to see Karen peeking in the brown paper back Makoto had placed on the table.

"There's something else in there," she noted, craning her neck to get a better look inside.

"Oh, yeah," Makoto started, pulling the bag away from her. Karen huffed, but then watched as Makoto removed a long jewelry box and placed it on the counter where all three of them could see it. "I hope it's good," he said.

"I'm sure you picked her something nice, Makoto," Sasha assured him. But Makoto still looked nervous.

"You guys can see it if you want," he said, but neither of them seemed to want to open it. Finally, Makoto reached forth and carefully opened the box.

For a moment, Karen and Sasha stared, mouths agape and unable to speak.

"It's beautiful," Karen finally piped up. "She'll love it."

"Elli loves simple things like this," Makoto explained. "She doesn't wear too much jewelry, and when she does, it's never a lot. She's never into anything big or flashy either, so I... ummm..." He paused. "I thought she'd like this."

Karen smirked inwardly, and looking up at Makoto, she half-asked: "Man, you put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?" Both she and Sasha waited for his answer, but he could only initially smile shyly.

Finally, he spoke up. "Well," he said. "It's worth it."

**xXxX**

With his gifts wrapped and Jeff paid for the job well done, Makoto headed for the Clinic, feeling better about giving the gifts to Elli. But when he stepped inside the sterile-looking lobby, he found she wasn't behind the counter. Then he remembered the couple he saw earlier at the Inn.

He heard the voices on the other side of the partition to his left, smiling as Elli spoke soothingly to the woman. Since he figured she would be busy for most of the day, he headed up to her desk as he removed the gifts from his bag. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw no one was around, so he placed the gifts on the counter before he quietly left the Clinic.

Unfortunately for Makoto, he couldn't keep putting off the visit to Anna's house. He didn't have to wait a moment or two before Anna answered the ringing of the doorbell; it seemed she showed up before Makoto instantly. "You're late," she said at once.

"I have chores, too," Makoto replied tersely as Anna passed and let him inside. But as Anna led him through her living room and past her stiff sofa, she coolly said:

"Funny. I always see you out at this hour."

"Well..." Makoto started. But Anna wouldn't let him speak.

"I bought some seeds from Jeff the other day, so today you can plant them," she said. "They're out on the porch." Makoto mumbled in agreement, finding himself paying more attention to the picture of Anna and the other dark-haired young lady. He didn't even realized he had stopped until Anna came out from the kitchen and impatiently said: "This way."

Makoto looked over at her as she stopped a few paces away from him. Then he looked back at the picture.

"Who's the woman in the picture?" he asked, pointing at the picture of Anna and her friend. When Anna didn't initially answer, he looked back at her to see her, strangely, staring off into nothing. Makoto turned back to the picture, and as much as he tried, he couldn't find something familiar about the lady when he knew something was there.

"She was a friend of mine from high school," Anna finally answered. Makoto glanced over at her, and then turned back to the picture. Still, he couldn't figure out why he noticed that one out of all of the pictures on the stand.

"Was she nice?" Makoto found himself asking, even if he didn't know why that question came to mind. He looked over at Anna again, who allowed herself to look baffled even if she still turned up her nose.

"Why are you asking?" she replied. Makoto gave a small smile, and looked back at the picture.

"She seems nice," he said. That time when he looked over at Anna, he saw that her baffled expression had considerably warmed up.

"She was, very," she told him. Then she let out a sigh. "But she passed away, a long time ago. Before you were born, I think."

"Before '86?" Makoto asked. Anna shook her head, scrunching her nose a bit as she mused.

"No... after then, I guess. 1987, not long after I had Mary." Makoto briefly noticed a ghostly reflection of a dark-haired man in the photo before Anna said: "Well, you better head out to the yard now. Come along, Makoto."

Whatever was up with that picture in Anna's house, Makoto knew he wanted to know. Seemingly resigned, he followed her into the drab kitchen, and then asked: "Who took that picture?"

Anna didn't initially answer, and instead stopped to open the glass door leading to the porch. "A despicable man," she replied bitterly. Makoto stood, meeting her glare. He knew if he stood there any longer, she'd snap out of her prissy demeanor and shove him out the door. With that, he sulked outside, noticing the bag of seeds and gardening tools tucked away in the corner of the deck.

He got to work as Anna watched from the porch. Occasionally, he would turn around to see her deliberately looking off in the other direction.

**xXxX**

Meanwhile at the clinic, Elli carefully wrapped up the couple's newborn baby in a pink, fleecey blanket. The Doctor watched from beside the partition as she gingerly handed the baby to the woman. Then she stepped back, taking her place next to the Doctor as the woman and her husband gazed fondly at their daughter.

"You did wonderfully today, Elli," the Doctor said to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks," Elli replied. Still, she found herself unable to look at him, but she didn't want to stare at the couple either. After a moment or two, the Doctor slipped his hands into the pockets of his scrubs pants. Then they decided in tacit agreement, to leave the couple their privacy. The Doctor started talking about letting Elli take a few hours at her house before coming back to stay the night in case the new mother needed tending to. But before they could head back into the lobby, the woman piped up.

"You're Laine and Evan's daughter, aren't you?"

Elli turned around, glancing up at the Doctor briefly before turning back to the couple. "Yeah," she said. Tilting her head slightly, she asked: "How'd you know?"

"My sister told me about this place," the woman explained. "She came here about ten years ago to give birth, because she'd heard from a friend about a woman named Laine Cooper who helped her through the labor so well, that it was worth the two hour trip from where she lived." The man picked up for her.

"And yeah," he added. "We figured since you've got such a small town here, that you had to be Laine and Evan's daughter." Elli nodded at that.

"Where are Laine and Evan, anyway?" the woman asked. At that moment, Elli knew the Doctor watched her, concerned. In the silence, the woman gasped, and the husband looked crestfallen. Still, Elli answered.

"They're dead," she told them politely. Then she added: "They died in a ferry crash four years ago."

The Doctor kept watching as the woman beckoned for Elli to come closer. Elli did so out of politeness and received a one-armed hug from her. All the while, she insisted kindly that she was fine. Once the woman let Elli go, she stood up, looked over at the baby, and asked: "So, do you know what you're going to name her?"

**xXxX**

The work at Anna's house went on for a few hours, but it felt much longer to Makoto. Finally, as the hazy sky gradually turned a darker shade of grey, Makoto heard Anna say from the porch: "Now, that's enough for today."

Wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, Makoto brought himself to his feet and noted the work he had done. It seemed Anna was impressed; she nodded approvingly as she scanned the area encompassing the perimeter of the fence. Makoto managed to till over the other two of three long stretches, and planted seeds on those patches. "It looks really good," Anna finally said.

Makoto nodded, looking over at her. "Yeah," he said quickly. Then he added: "I hope you like it when it's done."

"Like I said," Anna started. "I expect a good garden from you."

It felt good to be complimented for his work on the farm. But before Makoto could enjoy it too long, a shattering of glass startled him and Anna. "What the hell was that?" he asked flatly, craning his neck to get a better look around the side of the house. He knew the noise came from there just from hearing it.

"Watch your language!" Anna hastily scolded him as she started down the stairs of the porch and headed around the side of the house. Makoto rolled his eyes as he followed her. But when he came closer to the source of the crash, he found himself in shock.

There stood Stu, in the field to the side of Anna's house, smeared with mud and paralyzed in fear.

"STUART COOPER!" Anna yelled. "YOU GET OVER HERE THIS _INSTANT_!" Makoto cringed. But as he looked from Stu, scuttling towards Anna with his focus on the ground and looking mortified, to Anna, breathing heavily and losing her immaculately kept appearance, he felt there was worse to come.

After a few moments, Stu came in through the side gate, too nervous to close it behind him. Makoto headed closer to Anna as well, but she wordlessly motioned for him to stay back. Resigned, he stayed a few feet behind her, watching as she turned her anger towards Stu.

"What did you think you were doing, Stuart?" she asked him. glaring down at him. Stu bit his lip, fleetingly making eye contact.

"Playing catch..." he answered weakly. Makoto felt terrible for Stu at that point, knowing he almost always played by himself. Unconsciously, Makoto took a few steps closer to Anna and Stu.

"You broke my living room window," Anna informed Stu. "I better not find out there isn't anything else broken inside." Unfortunately, it was more likely than not that Stu broke one of her antiques. He seemed to realize that, and gulped.

But by then, Makoto found he couldn't keep quiet. "Anna... just lay off him," he told her. She spun around, and spoke in a low voice.

"Makoto, I am warning you," she replied sharply, pointing a finger at his chest. "Stay out of this." With that, she turned back to Stu, and asked: "What do you have to say for yourself?" Stu gulped again.

"I..." he started. Then he looked pleadingly to Makoto, who in turn found himself fighting to stay quiet. "I didn't mean to," Stu finally said. "I didn't think I could..."But as Anna fumed, he fell silent.

"Let's go," Anna hissed. "I'm going to march you right up to your sister and tell her what you've done."

"But--" Stu stammered. But then, Anna took him by the wrist and strung him along as she took off at a brisk pace. Makoto followed.

"Anna, you can't!" he protested. Anna stopped and spun around.

"I told you not to interfere," she spat.

"But you can't do this!" Makoto repeated. With that, Anna took in a breath, and then raised up her head.

"And why not?" she asked, coolly testing him. Makoto looked her square in the eye.

"Because I know that Elli's gonna let Stu know exactly what he's done wrong," he told her. But instead of replying, Anna pulled open her wooden gate and shoved Stu along as they passed the side of the house. She tried closing the gate behind her, but Makoto yanked it open and followed her, noting the smashed window as he passed it. Keeping her head high all the while, Anna ignored him. "Stu gets out of line, sometimes-" Makoto piped up again as Stu gave him a pleading, scared look. "But he's just a kid."

"He should know right and wrong by now," Anna explained pointedly. But that set Makoto's blood on the boil. "Besides," she added. "I told you to stay out of this." But he wouldn't have cared if she kept telling him to stay out of it.

"Elli's shown Stu the difference," he continued. He furrowed his brow. "My God, Anna, I've gotten into my fair share of trouble when I was his age."

Anna gave an uninterested huff. "Well, you're not much of a good example, are you now?"

Makoto wanted to tell her about all boys being prone to getting into trouble, but he knew he had his own reasons for causing trouble as a kid. Instead, he kept tailing her. But much to his chagrin, Manna had headed up the road from her house, and caught up with the rest of them en route to the clinic. Finally, Makoto said to Anna:

"Elli's busy at work now, anyway. She's delivering a baby."

That seemed to get Anna to stop. All throughout the silence, Manna piped up and started asking anyone who would answer what was going on, but no one acknowledged her.

"Fine," Anna said. She jabbed a finger at Makoto's chest. "I want her to come to my house when she's done to discuss what Stuart did today. You tell her that." Her eyes narrowed. "And I'll know if you didn't tell her."

"Know he didn't tell me what?" a girl's voice piped up. Everyone turned to see Elli, holding Makoto's presents.

"There you are!" Anna and Makoto both said, one sounding ready to jump down her throat, and the other sounding relieved to see her. Manna, while looking around from one person to the next, asked impatiently:

"Could someone tell me what's going on?"

"Hold up!" Anna snapped at her. Manna shrank back, but still watched the scene cautiously. Then Anna turned back to Elli, and pointing at Stu, she told her: "Stuart broke my living room window today, Elli." Elli looked taken aback.

"Oh my God... well... I'll pay for the damages," she started. "I don't know what else to say."

"Of course you're going to pay for it," Anna reiterated. "And whatever else he broke in my living room, too." Makoto looked to Elli, who nodded and listened to Anna speak as if she was merely giving her instructions. She kept her cool, something he always admired about her. But then Anna added: "And I would teach your brother a thing or two about staying out of trouble."

Makoto looked to Elli, wondering if she could keep her cool after that one. He tried saying something, but she instead patted him on the arm and nodded, giving him a tacit understanding. "I understand," she said to Anna. "I'll talk to Stu." Nodding again to Makoto, she motioned in the direction of her house, but before they left, she added: "I'll come by tomorrow to talk about payment."

"Thank you," Anna said, sounding satisfied. She watched as Makoto, Elli and Stu left, feigning attention as Manna stated, in a hushed voice, her opinions on the matter.

After a few moments, Stu sulked and said: "I guess you're real mad at me, sis." Elli sighed.

"We'll talk about it when we get home, Stu," she told him. But when she saw her brother still sulking, she added: "It's alright, kiddo. I know you didn't mean to do it." Stu nodded, but kept his head down.

Silence hung around as they walked back towards their house. As Stu headed inside, Makoto stopped Elli at the stoop and said in a low voice: "I can't believe she dissed you."

For some reason, Elli instead smiled. "It's alright," she told him. But something about her expression, something Makoto could see as he looked into her eyes, betrayed her words.

"But I know you've told Stu to stay out of trouble," Makoto continued. Before he could continue, Elli put a finger to his lips.

"Don't worry about that right now," she told him, sharing his gaze. But Makoto couldn't understand. He couldn't fathom why Elli, after being told off by Anna about the way she raised Stu, could just shake it off as if Anna merely threw her a petty insult. With that, Elli held up her presents so Makoto could see them. "Mind if I open these now?" she asked, giving him a smile.

They turned around. Though Makoto found his mind fogged, he brought himself to answer her. "Go ahead," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder as she drew herself close. With that, she looked at both packages, one in each hand.

"I'm guessing I should open this one first," she said, holding up the cube-shaped package containing the teddy bear. Makoto nodded, receiving the other package from her, and then watched as she gingerly undid the wrapping. But as he watched her open her gifts, he couldn't help but think about what what really bothering her.

She should've known, he thought, that asking him then not to worry about her was just a waste of words. Something was eating at her; Makoto could sense it in the way Elli held back her feelings when usually, telling him what was on her mind came so easily. He knew in his heart there was no way she wasn't hurting.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I know I enjoyed writing it. To answer Telly, I know Barley and May haven't shown up much (May hasn't actually shown up at all since In My Life, so that needs to be fixed), and that's kinda strange since Barley has been established as a good friend of Old Man Joe's. But of course, they'll get some more time soon enough. To answer EvanscentShadow, I hope the Joe bit here opens more questions... and... good luck in college! To answer Terra's question, Makoto wasn't adopted- his mother died when he was about a year old, so his father's raised him since then. Anyway, thanks all for reading and/or reviewing. Until next time.  
**


	10. The Grass Is High

**Strawberry Fields- **Simon and Garfunkel called. They want their lyric back.**  
**

**Old habits die hard- i.e (cough) taking forever to update (cough sputter cough). But this semester in college hasn't been kind, what between music stuff and Papers of Doom, and this chapter took loads of work to get it right. Believe me, there was a lot of little bits to tweak and get just right. Anyway, this chapter is a _bit _different from what I've been writing for the story... but I hope you guys will enjoy it nonetheless.**

**xXxX**

It was hard for Elli, learning how suddenly life could change. 

She opened up her bedroom window and was greeted by a breeze billowing past. Just beyond the stretches of her back yard, tall, verdant grass swayed gently. The springtime flowers were fully in bloom, standing out under the crisp sunlight and painting her dream.

Utensils quietly clattered against dishes in the kitchen, while the sounds of footsteps in the hallway steadily grew more noticeable. But then, a soft beeping caught Elli's attention. She turned from her window and looked to her night table, where there wasn't an alarm clock.

Elli awoke in the morning after her dream, and found herself staring straight up into nothingness. That dream had been occurring more often. It always left her staring up at the ceiling each morning, until she realized if she spent any longer than five or ten minutes in bed, she'd be late getting ready for work.

She stared at the ceiling as always that morning as she unconsciously shook off the extra blanket she had needed the night before. After all, the pale sunlight was peeking through the window, warming her barely furnished room.

**xXxX**

As soon as Elli finished getting ready, she headed downstairs to begin her workday, and found the Doctor waiting by her desk.

"The Bowens said they'll take the early ferry out of town tomorrow," he told her. Elli nodded at that. "But I want to make sure Mrs. Bowen will be okay on her feet before sending them out first."

Elli nodded. "Do you want me to keep an eye on her?"

"Would you?" the Doctor replied. When Elli nodded again, he added: "Thanks a lot. You know I've got that deadline on the textbook." But before Elli could ask him about writing, he rubbed his chin pensively and added: "Let me know when you need me. I left you some paperwork on your desk."

"Saw it," Elli said, smiling.

"Good." But then, Elli noticed the Doctor had been stealing the occasional nervous glance at the necklace Makoto had given her. She bit her lip and unconsciously brought up her hand to cover it, but she knew he wasn't a fool. In his eyes, she could see his regret.

"You don't look so well," she said. "Did you sleep alright last night?"

Snapping out of staring at Elli's necklace, the Doctor shook his head and gave a quick, nervous smile. "No. I haven't slept well in a while." Looking up, he added: "You know that."

"Yeah," Elli idly agreed, knowing the Doctor was just fishing for an excuse. After fidgeting for a moment, he clapped his hands together.

"Alright," he started. "Like I said, just let me know if you need any help, okay?" Elli nodded again, and with that, the Doctor turned and headed away, not looking back. After he disappeared into his office, Elli headed into the infirmary, asking:

"So, how are you feeling today, Mrs. Bowen?"

**xXxX**

The crops were nearly ripe down at Strawberry Fields. Makoto worked hard watering and checking his rows of turnips, potatoes, and cucumbers. Still, he found himself worried about growing strawberries, seeing as he hadn't grown them before. According to Joe's journals, they would take over any patches of soil in which they were planted like a weed. While Makoto would get a lot of money for them, it was still a bit risky because he wouldn't have much of a choice to not grow them again the following spring in case the strawberry crops didn't turn out well.

As he mulled over his crops and the things he had to do that day, including attending a meeting about hurricane season safety at the Inn, he idly looked over at the entrance of the farm. At first he thought his eyes deceived him, but when he squinted to get a better look, he saw Stu heading down the path leading to his farm. Twisting shut the valve of his hose and dropping it, Makoto turned and headed towards the edge of the fields, waving Stu over. Stu hurried along.

"What's up, Stu?" Makoto asked as the boy ran up to him and stopped. Looking up, Stu asked:

"Is it okay if I play here today?"

"Uhhh... sure," Makoto replied, arching an eyebrow warily. After all, Stu only came by to play once before, during the previous autumn, and only because he had permission. "Did your sister or grandmother say you could?"

"Gram did," Stu offered. But then he frowned, and kicked at the grass. "My stupid sister had to work today."

"You shouldn't talk that way about your sister," Makoto told Stu. But Stu dismissed him, tossing up his hands.

"Whatever," Stu said, passing him. Then turning around, he asked: "Do you have any cows yet?"

Nodding, Makoto said: "Yeah, I've got three. Wanna see them?" Stu's expression considerably brightened.

"Yeah!" he said eagerly, pumping his fists in the air. Without giving Makoto a chance to lead the way, he turned and bolted in the direction of the barn. Smiling lopsidedly, Makoto took off after him.

Once Stu made it to the barn doors, he turned around and called: "Hurry up!" Makoto made it over within a few seconds, and then opened up a door and allowed Stu inside. "Whoa!" Stu gasped upon seeing the cows.

"Cool, huh?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah!" Stu ran over to the first cow he saw, and gently petted her muzzle. The cow then licked Stu's hands. "She's funny!" he laughed. Smiling, Makoto approached the cow and stroked her on the head. Of course, the other cows wanted some attention as well, and they rubbed themselves up against Makoto. Much to Makoto's pleasure, Stu seemed amused and entertained. That was, at least Makoto managed to keep him entertained for an hour or so.

**xXxX**

The first thing Elli noticed, after coming back home for her lunch break, was that Stu didn't run up to the door to greet her. She looked around the foyer curiously as she kicked off her shoes, and then called out: "Stu! Gram! I'm home!"

"I'm in the kitchen, Elli!" Elli turned and headed towards the kitchen to see Ellen laying out cold cuts for sandwiches.

"Where's Stu?" Elli asked. "I know he wanted to spend time with me today, so..." She looked over at her grandmother curiously.

"Oh, he went over to visit Makoto," Ellen told her, slicing a tomato.

Elli frowned, heading into the kitchen. "Ohhh... he seemed really upset when I told him I had to work today," she sighed. "He must still be mad over that." When Ellen saw Elli looking glum, she decided it best to change the subject.

"So, you're going over to visit Anna after you eat, dearie?" she asked.

Heading to the counter and opening the bread basket, Elli nodded and gave a discontented hum. "Yeah. I'll head over before I have to go back to work." She took out a package of bread, opened it up, and pulled out a few slices. "I guess Makoto's got his hands full, then," she added, tying shut the bag and giving a slight smile to Ellen. "I don't think he'll be able to take his usual break today."

Ellen chuckled. "I just hope the poor thing can handle Stu for an afternoon." Elli smirked.

"It's cute, isn't it?" she commented. "My boyfriend watching my brother." Then she gave a laugh, and dryly added: "I just hope he knows what he's gotten himself into."

**xXxX**

Elli and Ellen were right in worrying about Makoto. After chasing Stu through a stretch of the fields over and over again, Makoto collapsed onto the front steps of his porch and watched as Stu approached.

"I'm bored with tag now," Stu announced loudly. Catching his breath, Makoto nodded.

"Good call," he said, pushing back his sweaty hair and wiping the mud from his forehead. Most every time he went after Stu, he had tripped over his large feet. After wiping off his forehead, he groaned as he stretched out his sore limbs.

Unfortunately for Makoto, he wasn't sure what else to do with Stu that would keep him entertained. He brought him inside for lunch and a clean-up, and then checked for anything on T.V that Stu would have enjoyed watching. The only thing on was, as Makoto put it, "Some yellow sponge show...".

"That show's _stupid_," Stu huffed. Shrugging, Makoto shut off the T.V. He quickly saw that Stu didn't want to play as much as he had when he visited the last time. When he suggested a few games they could play, Stu rejected every idea. Instead, he seemed more keen on ranting about how Elli never seemed to have time for him. So, in order to let him vent, Makoto listened as he finished his chores. Then, sweaty from his work, he took Stu on a walk around Strawberry Fields.

"She spends time with you when she gets home every evening," Makoto pointed out while the two of them ambled along a creek running through the back of the farm. Every once in a while, Stu stopped and picked up a small stone, tossing each one into the creek.

"Yeah, but sometimes she has to work late," Stu explained. "She doesn't spend time with me then."

Makoto watched as Stu threw another rock into the creek, and then told him: "But that's not _all_ the time."

Stu continued. "Then when _you're_ there," he said, "...you guys are always making."

"Making out," Makoto promptly corrected. Stu nodded and agreed. A few moments passed before Makoto did a double-take. "Wait... no!" He looked over at Stu. "What gave you that idea?"

"Oh, I see you. Past my bedtime," Stu said bluntly. "Like, every night you stay over _reeeeeal_ late."

A sour, confused look crossed Makoto's face. "Did you ask your sister about this?" he asked uncomfortably. "Maybe she can... ummm... you know, clear things up for you?" Stu stuck out his tongue.

"Nyah nyah... I don't have to ask," he teased. "I spy on you guys." He chortled again. "Elli hasn't caught on yet. She's too busy kissing you." He made a few exaggerated kissing noises, and then sang: "Elli and Makoto, sitting in a tree!" He carried on.

Still uncomfortable, Makoto tugged at the collar of his T-shirt. "Fine..." he said, getting Stu to stop singing. "But it's not every night I stay over late." He paused, unsure of what to say under the pressure of Stu's incredulous expression. It seemed he wouldn't believe anything Makoto said. "Well... you know Elli and I are friends... ummm..." He bit his lip and nervously rubbed his fingers together.

Stu chortled. "I'm not _stupid_." Feeling slightly relieved, Makoto nodded.

"No, you're not," he agreed. "You're very smart." Silence came again for a few moments as Makoto looked ahead at the fog-hazed stretches of Mother's Hill he could see from Strawberry Fields. "You don't mind that we're friends like that..." he started again. "...Right?"

"I don't care," Stu replied. Looking away and shoving his hands in the pocket of his windbreaker, he added: "Elli asked me if it was okay last year. She told me that you guys would be all kissy kissy." He made a few more kissing noises, causing Makoto to flush red.

"See?" he asked, sounding sheepish. He sighed, regaining his bearings. "She cares about you. She wouldn't have asked you that otherwise." Then he looked over at Stu, who nodded and agreed half-heartedly, looking puzzled. Though a bit unsure of himself, Makoto continued. "And she does spend time with you in the evenings," he told Stu. He counted on his fingers. "Let's see... if it's not your grandmother cooking dinner, she cooks."

"She's not that good at it," Stu interjected. "It's alright, but it tastes funny sometimes." Then he briefly looked up at Makoto, only to see him smirking.

"She'll get better," he quickly replied. Then he started counting on his fingers again. "She does it, so that counts. Then she talks with you about your day at dinner. Then you guys have your family time together." He counted on another finger. "Then she reads you a story at bedtime."

For a moment, Stu pondered what Makoto said. "Yeah..." he finally agreed. "She does all that."

Makoto smirked. "Then what's the problem?" When Stu fell silent, Makoto looked over to see him furrowing his brow.

"I don't know," he sighed. Shaking his head, he added: "But it makes me mad."

If it wasn't the issue over the amount of time spent with Stu that was bothering him, then Makoto wasn't sure he could figure out what was wrong. He looked off to the forest in the distance again, and lost in thought, remained silent. After a while, Stu tugged at Makoto's hand and asked: "What time is it?"

Makoto looked down at his watch. "It's getting late," he noted. Nudging Stu on the shoulder, he said: "C'mon, Stu. Let me clean up. Then we can head to the Inn for that meeting and meet up with your sister."

**xXxX**

Many of the townsfolk had gathered around the Inn by the time Stu and Makoto arrived. After exchanging greetings with a few people, they caught up with Elli as she approached from the direction of the clinic.

"Hey, Stu," she said, stopping and mussing her brother's hair. When Stu didn't say anything, she shrugged and turned to Makoto, greeting him and showing him her necklace. He smiled, and then she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. Stu gave a grimace and a groan. Distracted and slightly abashed, Makoto and Elli stepped back from each other, and Elli instead paid attention to Stu.

Despite Stu's scowl and obvious sour mood, she kindly asked: "So, what did you do with Makoto today?" Stu's scowl twisted further, and rather than look at her, he stormed off ahead. As he looked after him, Makoto arched an eyebrow.

"What's gotten into him?" he asked Elli, sounding baffled.

Elli shrugged. "Ahh... whatever gets into seven-year-old boys and makes them crabby," she replied airily. With that, she motioned towards the Inn. "C'mon," she said, taking Makoto's hand. "Let's head inside."

Smiling wickedly, Makoto said: "Well, I guess I'm ready for my first town meeting that wasn't called on because of me." Elli smirked, musing as they followed a sulky Stu and a small queue of townsfolk through the opened double doors.

"That's right," she said brightly. "I guess it's an accomplishment for you, then."

Makoto smirked, heading with Elli to the round table in the far corner, where Stu sat with Popuri and Rick. But instead of sitting, they stood and watched as Popuri, cooing and looking humored, listened as Stu spoke to her. They couldn't hear him over the noise of the rest of the townsfolk chattering, but despite that, Elli smiled wryly and said: "I didn't know Stu liked talking with Popuri so much."

Since Stu had his back turned, Makoto, unable to read his lips, replied in a whisper: "Maybe she's gonna give him candy or something."

Elli smirked. "I hope not," she said dryly. "I don't like it when people try to buy off my brother." She jokingly gave Makoto a convincing look. "You know, he's so young and impressionable." Makoto nodded in agreement.

Finally, Popuri looked up. "Hey guys!" she bubbled. "Wanna sit?" Rick and Makoto briefly glowered . But when Elli sat down next to Stu, Makoto shrugged and followed suit. As Rick and Makoto monosyllabically acknowledged each other, Popuri turned to Elli and said: "Elli, your brother's so cute!"

With another one of her wry smiles, Elli looked over at Stu. Stu looked up from the table after a moment or so and stuck out his tongue and her. As he turned his attention back to his miniature army men, Elli looked at Popuri and fondly said: "Yeah, he is."

"Shut up, sis. I am _not_ cute," Stu muttered at once, without looking up from his toys. When Elli looked up at Popuri, she noticed her eyebrows perking.

"You let your brother tell you to shut up?" she asked curiously. Slightly flustered, Elli shook her head.

"It's just a phase of his," she replied shamelessly. But then, she looked cross. "One he's going to stop," she added, looking over at Stu. But Stu ignored her.

Finally, as the last of the townsfolk took their seats, the Mayor took his place on his soapbox behind the podium. Karen scampered over towards Rick at the last minute, giving him a kiss before she sat down next to him. Then the Mayor cleared his throat to get the clamor to stop. Once everyone stopped speaking and turned their attention to him, he spoke.

"Hi everyone," he started. "I'm glad you all could come out for this meeting." He looked down at a paper. "As you all know, we had a small flood last summer, so I'd like to go over procedures to prevent more flooding." He went on. Sometimes, he would trail, and a few of the townsfolk would instead whisper to the people at their tables. Cliff got Ann laughing with a joke, Popuri cracked her gum and examined her nails, Karen continuously blew a strand of hair out of her face, and Stu kept "discreetly" shooting glares at Elli.

"What's the matter, Stu?" Elli finally asked him. When Stu glowered and muttered in reply, Elli leaned in and asked: "What was that?"

Stu huffed. "Today's Wednesday," he hissed, jabbing a finger at her. "You were supposed to be off from your job!" The Mayor abruptly and deliberately cleared his throat, and then resumed speaking. Elli gave Stu a reprimanding stare.

"Stu, we can talk about that later," she told him, sternly and quietly. She turned her attention back to Mayor Thomas. But Stu looked as if he didn't want to let up, and instead pouted.

"Why didn't you stay home today? You said we were gonna play!"

Elli sighed, looking mildly exasperated. "I'm sorry, Stu," she replied. Despite the face she kept her voice low, a few people gave her disapproving looks. "I had to work today, Stu," she continued. "Now be _quiet_."

"And you always say stuff like Makoto is always too busy to play with me, too," Stu continued, raising his voice amidst the stares. Makoto looked to Elli, baffled. "Makoto let me play on his farm today. You lied to me!" By then, the Mayor stopped speaking, and people started craning their necks to get a better view of the scene, scraping their chairs across the floor all the while.

"Stu, I didn't lie to you," Elli told her brother calmly, despite the twinge of annoyance in her voice. "Makoto is always busy, he just happened to have some time today." She pointed at Makoto, who couldn't seem to shake his baffled expression. "And it was nice of him to-"

"Shut up!" Stu snapped, jumping out of his seat and jabbing a finger at Elli. "I hate you! You're a bitch!" Everyone in the room gasped, and all eyes fell upon Elli and Stu. The color had drained from Elli's face; she looked floored.

A few moments passed before finally, Manna spoke. "Elli, sweetie, could you take Stu outside until he's calmed down, please?" she asked, sounding patronizing. By then, murmurs broke out all around the room, only to die down when Elli stood up.

Shaking her head, she took Stu by the hand and led him out of the Inn. He struggled to wriggle his hand out of Elli's grip all the while, protesting. "Let me go!" he whined. "Let... _go_... of me!!"

"Stu, that's enough!" Elli hissed, shooting him an angry look as she reached for the door handle and pulled open the door. Giving him a nudge, she shoved him along outside.

When the door shut behind them, Anna said: "Honestly! Who allows a child to act that way in public?" The murmurs broke out again. All around him, Makoto could hear people agreeing with Anna, or disagreeing with Anna, or mumbling indecisively, baffled and unsure what to say. Finally, he stood up.

"Everyone, just be quiet!" he commanded. Everyone quickly fell silent, and turned their stares on him. Then a few huffs and groans rose up from around the room.

"What got into you to tell us to shut up??" Rick asked Makoto, scowling. Makoto felt a bit sick, and looked around at a few of the disapproving stares he was receiving, particularly at the one from Anna. There was something more to her stare, but he couldn't figure it out.

"Well..." he finally started. "I'm sure it's not the first time a kid acted out in public around here."

Manna opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Duke spoke. "No, it's not," he replied coolly, standing up and meeting Makoto's eye. "But it's still a problem." The stares from everyone in the room suddenly seemed to intensify. Nodding inwardly, Makoto sighed. When he looked up at Duke, he could see him mouthing: "For Elli, I mean."

With that, Makoto nodded again. Feeling he had enough of the stares, he made his way to the door as hastily as he could without bolting out of there.

In his absence, the villagers exchanged looks. Anna still looked a bit sour, but didn't say anything else, as did everyone else in the room.

**xXxX**

Elli and Makoto decided it best to get back to Elli's house as quickly as possible. Elli, with Stu in tow, remained silent and blank-faced all throughout the walk. Makoto walked next to Elli, but instead of holding hands with her like usual, he kept his hands in his jeans pockets.

Finally, after what seemed to be far too long, they reached their house. "Go inside, Stu," Elli said tonelessly. Stu seethed and stomped up the stairs, sure to slam the front door as he headed inside. After a moment or two, Elli turned away from Makoto and said in the same voice: "You should go home, Makoto."

Makoto shook his head. "It's okay..." he said. But Elli shook her head, biting her lip a bit.

"No, it's not," she said. "I'm sure you must think this whole thing is ridiculous."

Silence came after that, and Elli could tell that Makoto didn't leave. After a few moments, she felt his large hands gently massaging her shoulders. Then he said: "If you don't mind... I'd like to stay."

Elli smiled inwardly, feeling a bit better with his touch. "Well," she said, craning her neck to get a look at him. "I guess you know what you're getting yourself into."

But as soon as they headed inside, Stu's dark mood hit them. They headed into the living room to find him seated on the sofa, arms folded over his chest. The two of them waited in the dining room, watching as Ellen gently insisted for Stu to talk to her. One look at Elli told Makoto to put his arm around her comfortingly, but before he could, Stu jumped up from the couch and pointed at her.

"I meant it!" he cried, scowling. "I _hate_ you!"

To Makoto, it looked as if Elli needed every bit of her patience to keep herself cool. She took a breath, and soon regained her bearings. Then calmly, she asked: "Is that what you really think, Stu?"

Stu spun around, folding his arms over his chest. "Yeah!" he spat, stomping the wooden floor. "That's what I'm telling you!"

"I hope you know that hurts me," Elli told him, keeping her voice calm.

"Good!" Stu replied, scowling.

Makoto found he couldn't stay silent. "Stu, ummm..." He looked to Elli for assurance, and when she nodded at him, he continued. "Stu, you should apologize to your sister. She didn't deserve you to call her a bitch." At that moment, Elli found herself feeling grateful that Makoto stood up for her instead of remaining quiet.

Stu threw a glare at Makoto over his shoulder. "I don't wanna. You don't understand!"

"Well," Makoto started, flashing Elli a quick, nervous look before continuing. "It's not nice at all. Your sister would like it if you said you were sorry."

"You're just on her side! Shut up!" Stu snapped at him.

Elli knew Stu yelling at her was one thing, but yelling at Makoto was a different story. "Stu, go to your room," she said coolly, pointing in the direction of the bedrooms. Without looking back, Stu stormed off.

"Yeah!" he said aloud as he brushed past Ellen. He muttered as he left, though audibly. "I'd rather be there than out here with you and your dumb boyfriend. Probably gonna be all sucking on faces like Karen says." Sure enough, his ranting degenerated to randomness; he ended up mentioning the time he caused Jeff to drop a heavy crate on his own foot, and how Elli yelled at him for it.

He disappeared out of sight, and a few moments later, his bedroom door slammed shut. With that, Elli turned to Makoto and said sheepishly: "Don't worry. He does like you. He's just got a funny way of showing it."

"Yeah. Funny," Makoto remarked darkly, staring off in Stu's wake. Elli nodded wordlessly, and then turned to head towards the kitchen. "I'm sorry," Makoto suddenly said, getting her to turn back and furrow her brow at him.

"Well, I'm telling the truth," she told him over her shoulder.

Looking a bit flustered, Makoto followed her and replied flatly: "Never said you weren't." But before Elli could say anything else, Ellen came up behind Makoto.

"It's okay," she said. Makoto looked back at her, watching as she rested her hand on the dining room table for support as she walked. "Stu has his moments sometimes."

Makoto looked back to Elli only to see that she had stopped. She looked, briefly, at a picture on the mantle before sighing and heading the rest of the way into the kitchen. "A lot more often than before" she commented. But Makoto found himself looking at the picture instead, the picture of her parents. Then he watched her curiously. It seemed as if she had some dust in her eye.

When Elli looked up, she could see that both Ellen and Makoto were watching her. "Well, it's true," she added. "You know we've been having those hectic bedtime rituals, Gram." She looked up from the cabinet full of pots and pans and gave a lopsided, wry grin, one that upset Makoto.

"I've never seen him get like _that_, though," he said flatly, looking briefly towards the bedrooms.

"He's alright," Elli told him, with a bit of levity in her voice. But to Makoto, that levity sounded forced. Elli finally found the pot she needed, and put it into the sink to fill it with water.

"You sure?" Makoto asked. Mildly flustered, Elli shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Well, I've known him all his life, so I'm very sure," she told him wryly, giving him a slight smile. Glowering a bit at her response, Makoto turned to Ellen, who simply chuckled and said:

"If you ask a silly question, Makoto, you get a silly answer." Resigned, Makoto nodded.

"Don't worry, Makoto," Elli added warmly. Makoto nodded, and with that, Elli turned back and watched the pot fill with water. As Makoto and Ellen headed into the kitchen, Makoto quietly said:

"Alright... I'll start cutting the vegetables."

"Thanks," Elli replied sweetly, giving him another smile before turning her attention back to cooking. Some time passed before she, sounding a bit guilty, piped up again. "Do you think I should talk to Stu, Gram?" she asked, looking to her grandmother. "I feel bad, you know."

"No, sweetie," Ellen replied. "He really needs some time to himself now." Elli nodded in agreement, but afterwards, she still seemed upset. As the three of them prepared dinner in silence, Makoto kept glancing over at Elli, knowing by her quiet sighs that she was still upset. He watched as Elli lifted the pot out of the sink and onto the burner, and then spoke up.

"You know..." he started. "It's really not like you to be angry over something for so long." Elli sighed, and Makoto, trying his hand at some humor, added: "You should tell me how you deal with me when I'm in a bad mood." But with Elli's initial silence, Makoto got the feeling he shouldn't have said what he said.

Finally, she spoke up. "This is why I wanted you to go home," she said, sighing. "I didn't want you seeing me and Stu fight like that." She looked over to the water, catching sight of the bubbles rising to the surface.

"Well, you're allowed to have all this bothering you," he told Elli. "Stu did kind of lose it in front of the whole town."

"That," Elli answered, "and that now everyone probably thinks I'm a terrible poser-pseudo-parent-guardian-"

"That's a mouthful."

"-who can't keep her brother under control."

"Yeah," Makoto started. "But you should know that these things happen." Elli gave him a mildly flustered expression that read as: 'Of course'. Then Makoto continued. "I... ummmm... I told them after you left that it wasn't the first or the last time a kid acted out around here."

Elli nodded. "Well, you're right, it isn't the first time," she agreed. She looked thoughtful, but she kept an eye on the not-quite boiling water. "Hmmm... there was that time years ago Rick decided to go streaking." Then, as if she hadn't mentioned Rick's nudity at all, she pondered some more and nonchalantly said: "I think it was something about how he was trying to get back at his dad for something... they were fighting, I know that. But I don't know the whole story."

All the while, Makoto looked grossed out. He gave something between a sigh and a groan, and said flatly: "Too much information, Elli." Elli turned to him and smirked. By then, Ellen was hampering her laughter so much that her cheeks started reddening.

"It's a legend," Elli told Makoto. "I'm surprised you haven't heard about it yet."

Makoto rolled his eyes, and pushed aside some cucumber slices. "Yeah, well, hopefully I don't ever hear anything about male nudity around here again," he said, reaching for a carrot.

After they finished dinner, Makoto noticed Elli tossing the occasional guilty glance in the direction of Stu's bedroom. It seemed Ellen noticed this as well, because after they all finished cleaning up, she pulled Makoto aside and said: "Makoto, sweetie, why don't you take Elli out for a walk tonight?"

Makoto peered over Ellen's head at Elli, watching briefly as she put away the last of the dishes. Then he turned to Ellen and half-heartedly nodded. "Are you sure?" he asked. Ellen looked a bit put-off. "I mean," Makoto hastily added. "You know... with the whole thing with Stu... and..." He furrowed his brow as he fished for the words. "Is it a good idea? I know Elli needs some cheering up, but..."

"And Stu needs a bit of time to clear his head, too," Ellen finished, maintaining the kindness in her voice. "Just have her back before midnight, okay?" Giving a warm smile, she touched Makoto's arm and added: "And remember, this was _your_ idea."

Makoto nodded and agreed quietly. Then he looked over at Elli as she approached and headed up to her. "Wanna go out?" he asked.

Elli looked over at her grandmother, and then smiled and shook her head haplessly.

**xXxX**

Pulling their jackets tightly around themselves, Makoto and Elli huddled together as they headed down the trails of Mother's Hill, their cheeks red from the nippy air. They joked around with each other for a while, but when Makoto noticed Elli shivering, he looked a bit uneasy. It must have been the coldest night since winter, he thought.

"Ummm... should I have picked a better night to traipsing around in the mountains?" he asked. The two of them stopped a few hundred yards from a clearing overlooking a large lake, and then headed off the trail and clambered down a short, sharp slope of a grassy knoll.

"Well..." Elli started. She stumbled, taking Makoto with her when he grabbed her hand. A bit shook up, she stopped and motioned with her hand, idly looking up at the sky and around at the forest. "This is very romantic of you." Looking a bit sheepish, Makoto diverted his gaze and mumbled something in reply. Elli let out a laugh and added: "I thought you liked the cold, anyway. You're always running around on your farm in a T-shirt." She looked over at Makoto, who smirked. "During winter, you'd just go without your coat every time it went above thirty."

Unable to help but give her a wry grin, Makoto replied: "Well, I was cold, really." He handed her a corner of the fleece blanket he held. "I just wanted to look like I could make it seem like the cold was all in the mind." Elli shook her head at him as she took her end of the blanket and helped him lay it over the ground. After they finished, they sat down and took to snuggling up together and admiring the starry sky.

Still, Elli found something nagging her, and after a while, Makoto picked up on it. He fixed a look into her eyes, and Elli knew she couldn't turn away or keep quiet anymore. She sighed.

"Elli?" Makoto started, brushing his hand over her cheek. "Is everything alright? Do you wanna talk?"

She nodded. "You don't think I've spoiled him, do you?"

Taken aback, Makoto didn't initially reply, and instead arched an eyebrow and cast his gaze aside. "No..." he replied slowly, sounding baffled. Elli nodded, but didn't say anything. "That's stupid," he continued, turning back to her. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"I don't know..." Elli said, shaking her head. "I've always thought I haven't been doing a good job raising Stu." Then she sighed. "I guess I should've said something about it to you before," she said. When Makoto quietly agreed, she added: "It's been bothering me lately."

"I wish you'd told me sooner," Makoto said. Assuringly, he added: "Stu's just going through a phase."

Elli slumped a bit. "Yeah..." she replied. "I guess that's what it is..." Something about her response didn't sound right to Makoto. He shook his head.

"I guess it's bit more than a phase, then," he said solemnly. Elli quickly nodded and confirmed it with her reply. "Well, then," Makoto continued. He looked a bit sheepish. "I... umm... really don't know what to say." He looked away, and mumbled: "I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Makoto," Elli replied as she put her hand on his lap, drawing in his gaze. When she could tell he was about to speak, though, she looked up at the stars and said: "It's a nice night tonight."

Slightly taken aback, Makoto cast his gaze skyward. "Yeah..." he said, craning his neck to get a better view at the stars against the inky sky. "The stars are awful pretty." Elli smiled at that, not daring to tell him how cute of him it was to say something so romantic.

"Yeah..." she chimed in, scooting closer towards Makoto. As she nudged up on him, he slipped his arm around her, gently pulling her closer.

After a moment or two, he piped up. "But you're prettier," he told her, sharing a gaze with her. After a moment or so, Elli shyly diverted her gaze and shook her head.

"Now that's really corny," she told him, somehow managing a dignified voice while feeling her ears and cheeks reddening. Makoto couldn't help but look embarrassed as well.

"I know..." he admitted, grinning lopsidedly. Then he turned to her, brushing back her hair and admiring her reddened ears. "But I don't care." Elli let out a laugh as she looked up at him. Then, both smiling playfully and holding each other close, they shared a kiss. When they broke away, Makoto stared into her eyes, getting her to complete the exchange as she admired his eyes. Then he leaned close to her, softly kissed her on the cheek, and whispered in her ear: "You're beautiful."

Elli sucked in a quick, sudden breath of air, barely registering the feeling of Makoto kissing her cheek again. But during her silence, Makoto sat back and got a look at her, seemingly a little unsure of himself. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, Makoto," Elli replied, giving a slight eye roll and an inward laugh. "Unless you really didn't mean it." But when she saw he didn't look entirely convinced, she frowned ruefully, looking over him with concerned eyes. "Oh... I didn't mean to say that."

Makoto shook his head, giving a slight smirk. "Go put a sock in it," he whispered teasingly. With that, he gently eased her into a deep kiss, and the both of them forgot about their brief bout of awkwardness.

They broke away after a bit and leaned up against each other. For a while, they admired the stars, in the silence enjoying each other's company.

After some time, Elli piped up. "I used to go out with Mom and Dad a lot to go stargazing, so it's nice that we're doing this," she said fondly.

Makoto looked over at her, and Elli found herself deliberately keeping her gaze skyward. Catching on, he instead looked at his feet and mumbled: "You just never talk about them is all."

"I talk about my parents," Elli told him, furrowing her brow. She watched as he shook his head.

"You don't," he said, meeting her gaze. "I mean, you mention them... but I meant that you never really say anything about them." Elli nodded, and he continued. "You know... you never talk about what they were like, what kind of things you guys did together."

Elli sighed. "Makoto, it's been four years," she told him pointedly. "Remember our talk last week?" That struck Makoto, and sighing, he nodded. "I want to move on," Elli finished.

Ruefully, Makoto said: "I understand..." He knew what she meant. He didn't want to be the boy who killed someone, and that she didn't want to be the girl whose parents died.

Moments passed. Finally, Elli spoke.

"It's alright, Makoto," she said, sounding as if it definitely wasn't alright. But when she saw Makoto still looked glum, she reached out and gently rubbed his lap. Still, her silence lied, and that night, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy Makoto's presence. And much to her lament, he seemed to pick up on that.

After a while, Elli's guilt made her talk. "It's getting late," she said softly. "I'm sure you're tired."

Makoto, holding her hand tightly, whispered despondently: "Let's head back, then."

**xXxX**

Makoto saw so much in his dream that night that it felt to him that he was asleep for days. He could make out the events from the meeting at the Inn, although it seemed nothing was really happening. His memory gave him the details his dream didn't provide. The Mayor took to his podium, and Stu drew attention to himself again while Elli looked mortified. Everyone watched.

But as the scene replayed again and again, two new people seemed to show up. But no matter how hard Makoto tried to figure out who they were, he couldn't. They spoke without voices, and they remained veiled in a haze. All he could really discern were the faces of the townsfolk he knew, particularly Anna's face, and her disapproving scowl.

The more he dreamed, the more Elli was there. He could see an image of Elli at her parents' funeral, standing in the springtime sunshine. and staring at nothing during the pastor's eulogy. To Makoto, she was at a point so far beyond sadness that she couldn't even cry.

She moved on, though, and Makoto knew it. The happiness she often showed wasn't fake; no one could feign happiness for that long. But Makoto also knew, from watching Elli in his dream and being with her everyday, that there was always a part of her still affected from her parent's death.

Still, seeing Stu in his dreams puzzled him. The young boy watched Laine and Evan, seeming almost baffled and unsure of both himself and what was going on.

But before Makoto could see much more, the buzzing of the alarm clock forced him him out of his dream. Shaking his head, he sat up in bed and held his hands together, as if he could hold on to what he saw for a little while longer.

Finally, as he sat on a stool milking one of his cows, it all came to him.

**xXxX**

Yawning and tired after a restless night, Elli arrived at work early the next morning to find that the Bowens had already left. Things seemed too quiet; normally, the Doctor greeted her every morning. So Elli headed into his office to find him packing supplies into his leather medical bag.

"Hey, I've got to make a house call in the Valley," he immediately explained. "I should be back tomorrow afternoon, so you can take off until Saturday." After the Doctor left her a few emergency contacts and the keys to the Clinic, she bid him a safe trip and headed back home.

Thankfully for Elli, she'd be able to make up for the time she didn't spend with Stu the day before. But unfortunately, Stu didn't want to spend any time with her. Instead, he sulked off and locked himself in his bedroom, leaving Elli in the living room with Ellen shaking her head.

"Hopefully, he gets over this soon," Elli said, attempting to keep herself sounding positive. But when she noticed her grandmother looking over at her curiously, she added: "I'm sure."

"I think you need to talk to him, dearie," Ellen told her, sweetly but pointedly. But Elli instead shook her head.

"I'm sure he'll come around," she insisted. "I can't get a word in when I try to talk to him, anyway. He doesn't listen."

They relaxed in silence for a while after that, with Ellen knitting more socks and Elli reading another textbook. When Elli decided to get up for a drink, she noticed her grandmother had dozed off in her rocking chair yet again. Smiling lopsidedly, she draped the blanket resting on the back of the chair over her grandmother's shoulders, and then headed for the kitchen.

But as she passed the mantle in the foyer, she stopped. The photo of the family from before her parents' deaths caught her attention. She headed around the table, up to the mantel, and stopped.

After a moment or two, she picked up the framed photo and wiped off some dust with her sleeve. It seemed, by just holding the photograph, that memories filtered through.

Four years before, Laine and Evan had suddenly made the decision to go out on a house call that springtime evening instead of staying in for their anniversary dinner. It seemed, just as suddenly as they had made that decision, that everything changed for Elli.

Forcibly rubbing her fingers with her thumb and biting her lip, she placed the photograph back on the mantel. It was going to be one of those days... she knew it. They didn't come often, but when they did, Elli knew there was always something she had to do.

**xXxX**

Makoto knew what he needed to do. He walked, resolutely, past Chicken Lil's and the Yodel Ranch, around the corner, and into Rose Square. As he came closer, his doubts steadily nagged at him, until he realized he wasn't sure why he came out all that way. He noticed Anna and Manna chatting intently, but found he couldn't concentrate enough to read their lips.

As he came closer, he could hear tidbits of the conversation. 'I know it's not easy, but she should learn to exercise better control over him.' 'Do you remember the time he scared poor Jeff and made him drop that crate, on his foot, too!' After overhearing them, Makoto knew they were talking about Elli and Stu. They craned their necks to get a better look at him, hushing all the while. But as Makoto approached them, they stopped chattering all together and stared at him expectantly. Makoto stopped in front of them, and took in a deep breath.

"Anna," he started, his voice sounding hollow. He took in and let out another breath, and then spilled everything he kept bottled up for the past day or so. "I want you to know that it's not Elli's fault that Stu is acting out, and there's nothing wrong with Stu, either." Anna opened her mouth to speak, but Makoto continued. "Stu is acting out because he misses his parents. It's normal. I went through the same phase when I realized that I didn't have a mom, that my mom died when I was too young to even remember her. Hell, I was a rotten little devil." He sighed, and still looking Anna square in the eyes, added: "I just want you to know that Stu's not a bad kid."

Manna almost looked taken aback at his words, but Makoto couldn't care less what she knew about him then. Instead, he waited for Anna to say something. But she didn't speak; her stony expression softened and gave way to show her speechlessness. Makoto nodded, but didn't acknowledge her and instead walked swiftly away.

But then, she called after him: "Makoto, wait!" Taken aback, Makoto stopped and arched an eyebrow in her direction. Slowly, he turned around. Anna seemed hesitant to speak, but she finally swallowed her pride and said softly: "I think you're right, Makoto. You're absolutely right."

Makoto nodded again, giving her a faint smile that he could've sworn she shared. Maybe Anna didn't initially want to acknowledge it, or maybe that wasn't the case. Whatever it was, he didn't care to search it out after hearing Anna agree with him about Elli and Stu. With that, he turned away again, only to see Karen and Sasha watching him from the front door of the Supermarket. But they weren't the only people out.

He noticed that Anna and Manna had followed him, and as he looked around, he could see others curiously gathering around. Pastor Carter came by from the church down the road, as Duke and Cliff came from the winery in the other direction. Then Makoto could see why they, and Mayor Thomas, gathered around.

Elli stood outside her house, looking from person to person. A slightly saddened look had taken over her face; as she tugged idly at the collar of her sweater, she bit her lip and furrowed her brow as if fighting back tears. From the Supermarket, Makoto watched with Karen and Sasha. Then, as if someone lit his sneakers on fire, Makoto took off running. He stumbled over his own feet as he passed the Mayor's house, but then caught his balance and kept running without thinking twice about it.

As he approached Elli's house, he slowed down his pace so he wouldn't shove past anyone. By then, he could see tears in Elli's eyes as she struggled harder to fight them back while in the presence of everyone around. Quietly excusing himself, he brushed past Carter, Officer Harris, and Mayor Thomas, and then headed up to Elli.

It seemed she couldn't bear to look at him, or at anyone in the crowd. Makoto looked around briefly. Elli looked unsure of what to say or do in the face of all that attention, and even though each expression gave way to concern, Makoto found he couldn't look anyone in the eye either. He just wasn't used to seeing people watching each other's backs as they did in Mineral Town.

Finally, he sighed. Then he took Elli's hand and led her from the spot. After they walked down the cobblestone street for a while, Elli spoke.

"I wanted to... umm..." Elli started softly. She looked to the flowers in her hand. "I wanted to head to the graveyard today. Do you want to come?" With that, she looked up at Makoto, who nodded.

Along the way, Elli looked from her flowers, to nothingness, and back to her flowers. "I feel like I've let Stu down," she said despondently after a while. She sighed, and then turned to Makoto. "Makoto, what do think my mom and dad would've done about him?" Makoto arched an eyebrow, unsure of what to say.

"Umm... Elli?" he finally asked. "I've never met your parents, remember?" Elli shook her head and gave a faint, lopsided smile.

"That's right..." she said. "I forgot." She nervously laughed it off, but Makoto could only nod idly.

"You haven't let Stu down," he continued. Biting his lip, he gently squeezed her hand and added: "Please don't say that." With that, he let go of her hand and put his arm around her comfortingly for a stretch of the walk.

They spoke once in a while along the way to the graveyard, but only exchanged a few words. As they passed a few headstones, Makoto found he needed to say what was on his mind.

"I guess..." he started. He paused. "I guess you've kept everything that bothers you bottled up too long..." But then he trailed, waiting for Elli to speak. But she didn't initially. They had stopped in front of the headstones of Laine and Evan Cooper.

Makoto never experienced a silence so stifling. He looked over and could see that Elli couldn't speak, much less take her almost blank stare away from the headstones. Her hand fell at her side, her hold on the bouquet loosening, as a barely noticeable tremor overtook her.

Suddenly, Makoto found he recognized that feeling in her. He thought back to the day Elli first invited him to her house, and he blurted out: '_So... I'm going to meet your parents_?' As her expression slowly changed from her usual smile to a spaced stare, he realized exactly what was wrong. Then the next moment, she regained her composure, and he didn't ask any more questions. In fact, he never asked questions, and she never really anything aside from mentioning the fact that her parents just weren't there.

The sight of tears brimming in Elli's eyes shook Makoto out of his thoughts. When she gave a tight sob, he couldn't help but pull her gently into a hug. Stroking her hair, he eased her to lean her head on his chest, something she let him do as she gave another sob.

"I'm sorry, Makoto," she said, sounding choked up. "I'm just..." She stammered for a moment, and then trailed. Makoto kept stroking her hair all the while, finding he wasn't sure what to say or do. After all, he never saw her cry before.

"What are you sorry for, Elli?" he asked, feeling something warm at the edges of his eyes.

It took her a moment to respond. "I-I don't like..." She took in another deep breath. "I-I don't like... not in front of..." Once again, she trailed, and Makoto thought over all the times she had to be the strong one and support him, and how he never had the chance to do the same for her.

After taking the time to gather his thoughts, he told her: "But you're always so upbeat." He paused. "You've always got a good attitude, even when I'm being crabby, or if you're having a bad day." Letting out a sigh, he said: "You're allowed this." Then he gave her a kiss on the head.

A few moments passed, and then, Elli's sobs started sounding less forced back. She sniffled. "I miss my parents," she sobbed softly. Makoto exhaled slowly, feeling his eyes mist over. Guilt tugged at him, because he couldn't speak, much less answer Elli.

Elli's touch at his cheek stole him from his thoughts. With a faint smile, she brushed aside his tears, and then nestled her head on his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

And, Makoto felt as he shared the embrace, she understood. As he felt Elli's tears on his chest, he felt his own tears slowly sliding along his cheeks.

Then she spoke up. "Thanks, Makoto," she said softly. Giving a contented sigh, Makoto pulled her closer as she wrapped her arms around him and shared the hug. It was the best he could do; he could hardly even reply.

He sniffled, and all he ended up saying was "Okay, Elli...".

**xXxX**

**Hey again. Okay, so I thought I could get all of that into one part. Turns out... there's more to this mini-arc- one more chapter. Like I said in my profile (where I'll probably put updates on the chapters in case I drop off the face of the earth again), I've got bits and pieces written on that one. It just turned out the chapter would've been too long if I put everything here, and I wanted to give things room to breathe.  
**

**Anyway, I keep forgetting to post this. I have a forum floating around on this site. Check it out through my profile link, and feel free to post if you'd like.**

**And now, shout-outs: Telly- **Glad you like Jeff, and I'm glad you think Anna's getting interesting. I was hoping for that effect. And yup, Jeff's got stones of some sort- gall, kidney, rolling... we'll find out what kind. Guess the kind and amount and win a prize. I'm sure he's not sleeping well, either. Great idea. **EvanescentShadow- **I'll definitely be writing more about the people in the picture, so keep your eye on that. Sorry to be killing you with suspense, though. :) **Terra89- **Darkside! Ellen sounds kinda funny... and May's due to show up in the next chapter, totally. **Rhianwen-** If this chapter didn't do Elli justice, feel free to sic bunnies with "**sharp pointy teeth**" on me. **ACinBC-** Thanks for pointing out my mistakes in Chapter 1. I really need to go back and fix those. I'm glad you enjoyed the ending... there's really more of Joe in this story than in In My Life, so as the story progresses, you'll see that more and more. **Anyway, thanks all for reading, and hope to see you guys in the next chapter. Until next time.  
**


	11. It's Only Love

Strawberry Fields- **In Soviet Russia, Strawberry Fields reads YOU**

**Alright... in this chapter, there's loads of confusion about love. I've tried to write this as carefully as possible, so there's a lot of waffling done. Hopefully it comes across well. Happy reading!**

**Edits- As of 5.6.7, there's a small line in the dialogue fixed. Nothing too big, however. The edit occurs during the opening scene.**

**xXxX**

There was a peacefulness that came from sitting in the graveyard that evening. Makoto thought it might have come from the fact that he and Elli were sharing so much with each other. There were difficult questions to ask and answer, but things became somewhat easier for Makoto and Elli as time went on. Finally, with the feeling of his throat knotting up, Makoto found himself asking what it was like explaining the death of Laine and Evan to Stu.

"It was the hardest thing Gram and I ever had to do," Elli sighed. "He was only three at the time, so he'd always ask where Mom and Dad were, when they'd be coming home, why they were gone for so long."

Puzzled, Makoto asked: "Why would he do that?"

Elli didn't answer right away. "Well," she started. "When you're three, four years old, you don't understand what death is." She motioned with her hands as she spoke. "We had a dog who died when I was about three... she was _ancient_." She added that with a slight laugh. "I thought she must've ran away."

Makoto felt his stomach knot up as he wrung his hands together.

"I guess that's why I never understood where my mom was," he replied quietly, hanging his head. Elli nodded at that, and started rubbing soothing circles on his back, relaxing him somewhat. "Poor Stu..." he sighed."I know I had a lot of trouble growing up, and I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I didn't know my mom." He looked over at her. "So you know, I... well... acted out a lot."

With that, he looked out to the verdant fields in the distance, where he could see the gently swaying branches of a lone pine tree glowing in the sunset. In his long silence, Elli leaned forth attentively. Finally, she spoke up. "But it's because you said you never saw your dad much," she said, stirring him.

Biting his lip, Makoto nodded idly. Elli kept rubbing his back comfortingly when she saw him struggling with his words. "There was no need to give him a hard time whenever I _did_ see him," he continued, troubled and looking at the tree again. "Just like there was no need to give my kindergarten teacher and my babysitter a hard time, or to get this." He quickly lifted up his shirt and showed her the unsightly scar on his abdomen.

"How did you get that, anyway?" Elli asked, furrowing her brow a bit.

If anyone else had asked him that, Makoto knew he would've hesitated. But with Elli, he found he didn't. "Where my dad and I used to live, I used to get away from the babysitter after school and sneak into this huge, overgrown field an old man down the road owned," he explained. "I used to do retarded stuff, like set junk on fire or shoot at cans with my BB gun, thinking I was really tough and all that. But the thing is, there's only so much you can push someone." He sighed. "I had it coming. I egged the guy on, so he tried to shoot at me to scare me off." Seeing that it seemed that Elli didn't know what to say, he knotted his fingers and continued. "But what I mean to say is that I understand where Stu's coming from."

Elli sighed. It was her turn to knot her fingers. "I should talk to Stu about Mom and Dad more," she admitted solemnly. "He really doesn't know as much about them as he should." She looked over at Makoto; the look in her eyes reflected her tone of voice. After gazing into her eyes, Makoto slipped his arm around her and she eased herself close.

"You should stop being upset with yourself," he told her. "I don't think I would have it in me to go through what you've gone through."

Elli sighed. "But I don't know..." she started. "I..."

"Elli..." She looked over at him. "Listen," he continued. "I really don't know how to say this, but..." Deep in thought, he looked away. "I've always liked you, but when I got to know you, I began to see how strong a person you are." He paused. "I mean, it's almost impossible to get you down on something. You've gone through so much in your life, yet you've gotten through all of it." Then he sighed. "What I mean to say is that I really admire you for that. It's part of why I like you so much."

At first, Elli couldn't reply. She wiped away a stray tear. "Thanks, Makoto," she finally said, leaning her head on his shoulder. She gave a contented sigh. "That really means a lot."

After a while, they figured out that they'd been out long enough, so they headed down the dirt path leading back to the main road. A few stars were beginning to show up by the time they made it back to Elli's house. Upon noticing them, Elli took Makoto's wrist. "Ohhh..." she started, glancing at his watch. "We were out later than I thought."

They stopped outside the front door. "Would your grandmother be upset that we missed dinner?" Makoto asked, furrowing his brow in concern.

"Maybe a little," Elli replied guiltily. "But Gram understands that since this is about the time... you know..." Makoto nodded, watching as Elli leaned her back on the other side of the door frame. "I kinda ran out earlier without any notice," she added, giving a sheepish laugh. "She was taking a nap, so I don't think she heard me go out."

"I'm sure she noticed the flowers missing from her garden, though," Makoto told her, nodding at the bed of colorful flowers underneath the kitchen window. Looking ashamed, Elli said:

"That's... not the first time I've done that either."

Motioning to the flower bed, Makoto dryly replied: "But it looks like you carefully steal the flowers, so the garden still looks good." Elli shook off his comment as she reached for the doorknob, laughing inwardly.

"Let's head inside, Makoto."

Ellen had been waiting for them in the foyer, perhaps after seeing them out on the front stoop for a while. When she immediately pulled Elli into a hug, Makoto stood back and watched. "I spoke to him about yesterday," she told Elli. Pulling back and looking her over, she added: "He understands."

Elli smiled. "Thanks, Gram." She sighed. "I'm sorry for running on you out like that."

"It's okay, dearie," Ellen replied as the two of them headed for the living room. Makoto stood in the foyer, unsure of whether to stay or head back out. It seemed that it was time to leave the family on their own for the evening.

But then. Elli poked her head into the foyer and waved him towards her. He followed her a bit reluctantly into the living room and sat with her on the couch as Ellen settled into her rocking chair.

"So..." Elli started, looking over at a kindly smiling Ellen, "where_ is_ Stu, anyway?" Ellen pointed past Elli.

"He's right there."

Elli turned to see Stu standing in the entrance of the living room, his T-shirt rumpled as if he'd been sleeping in it all day. "Hey, Stu," she said. "What's up?"

Stu sighed. "I'm sorry, sis," he mumbled solemnly. He shuffled and looked at his feet as he walked up to Elli. As he came closer, Elli stood up from the couch, only for Stu to hug her.

"It's okay, Stu," she told him softly, sharing the hug. Then, getting on her knees and looking him in the eyes, she said: "I understand that you're mad at me."

Shaking his head and reflecting Elli's manner, Stu quietly said: "I'm not mad now." Elli smiled at him, just as he threw his arms around her again. After they let go and sat back down on the couch, Elli apologized for taking the flowers from Ellen's garden.

"Oh, I have terrible luck with tulips, anyway," Ellen told her. "Did I ever tell you about the time your parents trampled the garden?"

"Mom and Dad messed up your flowers, Gram?" Stu asked, grinning. Ellen smiled at him.

"Oh, yes." She laughed fondly. "It happened a little while after they first met." She looked at Elli as well while she spoke. "They took such a liking to each other right from the start, and they were talking out on the porch. Then your father... I happened to be coming up the walkway with groceries, so I know..." After laughing again, she continued. "He teased your mother about something, and when she got upset, he started tickling her until she shoved him. _She_ lost her balance too, and fell right off the stoop with him and into the flower bed."

Stu smirked at Elli. "No wonder you're such a klutz, sis," he said. "Mom was, too." Elli laughed, and then whacked him on the head with a pillow. Ellen haplessly shook her head. But all the while, Makoto watched quietly as if he was someone from the outside looking in.

When he stood up, Elli looked up at him, baffled. "Hey, what's the matter?" she asked him.

Makoto shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. "But I should go." He looked to everyone, having trouble with his words. "It seems you just want some family time... so... you guys take care." But before he could even turn away, Stu piped up.

"Don't go!" he said, frowning.

"You heard him," Elli said wryly, tugging Makoto's hand and pulling him back into his seat. He grinned faintly at her, settling comfortably in his seat. Elli kept her hand on his, and quietly said to him: "I want you to stay, too."

Makoto smiled warmly. "Okay."

They stayed up late that night as Elli and Ellen told stories about Laine and Evan. Stu rested his head on Elli's lap, while Makoto sat next to her and stretched out his long legs, picturing the stories all the while. He learned that Evan was a burly guy with a wicked smile and a sharp sense of humor, and that Stu was starting to look a lot like a lankier version of him. Laine, Ellen's daughter, was kind and beautiful. She always found herself as the brunt of Evan's teasing, though all in all, she loved Evan very much, just as he loved her.

After a while, Ellen let Elli tell all the stories, and instead opted to gently rock back and forth in her favorite chair until she dozed off. Soon enough, Stu drifted to sleep as well, but Makoto and Elli didn't take notice for a while. When they did notice, they looked at the old clock on the mantel and realized that it was nearly eleven. Exchanging tired smiles, they settled back down.

"Elli... your parents sound amazing," Makoto said, taking Elli's hand. She looked into his eyes.

"They were great," she told him. She smiled and sighed, resting her head on Makoto's shoulder. "I really wish you got to meet them."

"I do, too."

For a little while afterwards, they sat together in silence, content just to sit there and maybe fall asleep together. But Makoto had to go back to his house eventually, just as Elli, Ellen, and Stu had to get to sleep.

When he returned to his house, he flicked on the light switch and looked around the tiny living room. For once, his house didn't feel so empty.

**xXxX**

The next day, Elli spent her time off with Stu. As they headed out a little after noon to buy food for dinner, she spoke up.

"Stu, maybe you should go play with May while I'm at work tomorrow. I'll take you over there and everything," she said as the two of them headed down the front path. In his silence, she turned to him and asked: "Would you like that?"

Humming indifferently, Stu replied: "I guess. At least there's cows and sheep over where she lives."

"There you go," Elli told him, noticing the flag on the mailbox and stopping to check the mail. "And Barley said it'd be okay for you to come over one of these days." She paused, pulling out a birthday card from a great uncle a few states away along with a few bills. After shaking her head at her the way her uncle spelled her name, she continued speaking. "Anyway, we can talk to him about it when he and May come over for dinner tonight."

Stu cried out. "May's coming over for_ dinner_?"

Laughing a bit and shaking her head, Elli said: "Why do you think we're going out to get lots of stuff for dinner?" Stu only shrugged and mumbled an 'I dunno' in reply. Then Elli, a bit puzzled, added: "I thought you liked May." She tucked the mail back into the mailbox for later, and the two continued down the road.

Stu groaned. "Ugh, yeah right! She's soooo annoying, and she always has peanut butter on the side of her mouth."

"Yeah, maybe two years ago," Elli corrected. "You don't usually find much peanut butter around her mouth these days." She cracked a smile. "Besides, you went through a 'sticky stuff around the mouth' phase."

"Nah-uh! Did not!" Stu protested, sticking out his tongue at her. Elli shook her head haplessly.

"You were fond of peanut butter, too," she added dryly. "Not to mention, you're always coming home all muddy and dirty."

"Yeah, but that's because I'm busy being a secret agent!" He struck a pose, and did a few karate chops in the air, yelling out each time. Elli smiled at him. "Mission Impossible! Hah!" Stu exclaimed, only for Elli to ruffle his hair. They kept walking for a short stretch in silence until Stu piped up again. "I'm glad May doesn't come over every day, because she annoys me when she does."

"Why's that, kiddo?" Elli asked.

Stu sputtered. "Ugh! You _know_ why!" he told Elli. "She's always..." He made a repulsed face. "...She's always following me around." Then he launched into a high-pitched imitation of her voice. "Let's play house, Stu. Let's play dolls, Stu. Let's do stupid girl stuff, Stu. Blah blah blah, I'm a stupid girl with stupid pigtails and I_ smell_."

"Ouch. You're insulting my gender," Elli said dryly as they arrived at the Supermarket.

Oblivious to Elli's comment, Stu rolled his eyes and huffed. "Why does she do all that stuff, sis?" he asked, stopping in front of the door.

Hampering a giggle, Elli said: "Well, she likes you." She couldn't resist getting a load of his grossed-out reaction. He sputtered.

"EWW!" he cried. "That's sick!"

Elli clicked her tongue, still finding it hard to keep a straight face. "Oh, Stu. You should be happy."

For a few seconds, Stu stared incredulously. "_Why_?" he asked.

Elli gave a laugh. "Because a girl likes you, silly." Stu folded his arms over his chest and huffed again.

"Well, _I _don't like _her_," he retorted stubbornly.

Elli shook her head, and though she kept a sweet tone in her voice, she sardonically said, "I'm sure you don't." as she held open the door for Stu. Stu trotted inside, sticking his tongue out at Elli.

"That's right. I _don't_," he said. Elli playfully rolled her eyes at him as she followed him inside. He always had to get in the last word.

Once they were inside, Elli picked up a basket at the door, greeted Jeff, and met up with Karen to talk with her and look for some of the things she needed for dinner. Stu ran off to look for a few things as well.

"Is this one good, sis?" he asked after about a minute, holding up a can of chicken broth. Elli nodded at him, not noticing as he took another five cans off the shelf after she turned back to Karen.

"Listen, Elli," she started, looking bothered and concerned. "Yesterday..."

Diverting her gaze, Elli nodded inwardly. "It was one of those days..." she admitted quietly. With that, she looked at her shopping list, and then scanned the shelf for a box of cereal. "You know how that is," she added, nodding at the nutrition facts printed on one of the boxes. As she placed the cereal into her basket, she gave Karen a warm smile.

"I guess," Karen replied, sighing. "I was worried, though. I talked to my mom about it and everything..."

"Ohh... Karen..." She put down the basket and gave Karen a hug. "Thanks," she added as she let go. She cracked a smile.

But before Karen could say anything, Stu rushed over and got onto his knees, dumping the six cans of chicken broth into the basket. Then he looked up at Elli and grinned. "Wow, that's great, Stu..." Elli said, "but I think that might be too many cans."

"One for each person," Stu told her, furrowing his brow in Makoto-like manner. She smiled.

"Two cans will do fine for six people." Behind her, Karen smirked and shook her head.

Giving a pout, Stu moaned. "Ohhh, man! I gotta take _four_ back?"

"You brought all six over," Elli told him, smirking a bit. Defeated, Stu tossed up his arms and protested for a moment or so, but eventually brought the cans back to the shelf. After he left, Elli turned back to Karen.

"So, you have Stu slaving for you today?" she asked jokingly.

"That's what little brothers are for," Elli replied. She laughed wryly. "Actually, Stu and I are spending some time together today." Sighing a bit, she added: "I really owe it to him."

Then Jeff called out from the register. "Hey, Karen! Could you come over here for a minute?"

"Sure thing, Dad!" Karen called back. She turned to Elli. "I'll be right back."

"Alrighty." With that, Karen left. Elli had nearly finished her shopping by the time she came back, only to see her looking miffed. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Goddamned art collector called again," she huffed, taking out her anger by sorting out the cans on the shelf. "Dad gets choked up talking to him, so I took the call," she added quietly. Elli looked rueful.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I should've asked you about what was going on with that. What happened?"

Karen looked over at her and sighed. "It just sounds like he's got his thumb rammed firmly up his ass." She rolled her eyes, kicking over a step stool and climbing on it to straighten out boxes on a high shelf. "He went off with this whole 'is it worth my precious time?' thing, and if it wasn't for the fact I was doing this for my folks, I'd dish this jerk a good one."

"Maybe the jerk was having an off day," Elli offered. When Karen hummed in response, Elli continued. "So he's coming by soon?" she asked, looking for one last can on a lower shelf.

"Next Wednesday, actually," Karen answered, sounding a bit ho-hum. Elli picked up on her tone of voice.

"That good, huh?" she asked. Karen suddenly swore, and before Elli knew it, a few cookie boxes rained down from the top shelf and hit her on the head. Karen groaned and threw up her arms.

"Jeez!" She turned to Elli. "I'm sorry, Elli. Are you alright?"

Elli smirked. "I suppose there's worse things than getting attacked by Oreos," she replied. With that, she bent down along with Karen to help her gather the boxes. Once they finished putting them back on the shelf, Karen said:

"I just hope Dad can manage to sell a painting or two, you know?"

"Hey, this art collector must think there's something worthwhile about your dad's paintings if he agreed to come out this way, right?" Elli asked brightly. Karen gave her a playful eye roll.

"I guess you gotta look on the bright side, huh?" she said, shaking her head.

**xXxX**

After finishing his chores, Makoto headed to the Yodel Ranch to place an order for fodder. As he walked along the ranch's fence, he stopped to gently pet the muzzles of the cow and sheep that came up to him. But as he petted them, he felt his heart sink. It was a feeling that nagged at him every time he stopped over there.

Barley, though usually a laid-back man, showed his annoyance at Makoto once in a while. Makoto understood why. After winning the cow and sheep festival and making plenty of money after his fall harvest, Makoto came to the Yodel Ranch under the impression that Barley would give him at least three sheep and four cows all at once. Looking reluctant and furrowing his brow at Makoto, Barley immediately refused his offer.

"Look, Barley," Makoto had said, leaning coolly on the counter. "I really need to get my barn going. Winter's coming, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Barley replied, though managing an amiable tone in his voice.

"I have the money," Makoto said flatly. Barley nodded.

"I understand that, Makoto," he replied with forced patience. "But you shouldn't take on all those animals at once. You know, just one cow is a lot of work."

"I can handle four and the two sheep," Makoto assured him. "I've got a lot of time now." But Barley shook his head.

"That's all well and good, m'boy," he told Makoto. "But I'm still only selling you two cows and a sheep right now." He thought about something else. "Besides. I don't have all the animals you want immediately for sale. You'll have to wait until I can call up the ranch in either the Valley or Hackettsburg." With that, he motioned for Makoto to follow him to his kitchen.

Makoto furrowed his brow for a moment, but then pushed himself off the counter and followed Barley.

"I dunno," he began as the older man began filling out a few forms. "It's going to start snowing soon." Barley somewhat acknowledged him, but did his best to concentrate on writing. "And I don't know if I'll be able to get my cows and sheep if no one can be able to travel on the roads-"

"Makoto!" Barley snapped, shooting Makoto a dirty look. "You'll get all the livestock in due time! Enough already!" Makoto remained silent, but wore an unclean look all the while. Finally, Barley turned to face the farmer boy. "Listen," he said. "I know you're in a rush to pick things up before winter, but the matter is I can't sell you all those animals at once. You've never even taken care of a cow before. I'm not about to give you four."

Makoto nodded, still upset at Barley.

"I'll tell you what," Barley continued, still annoyed. "You can come here over the next day or two, and I can teach you how to take care of a cow. And if you do that well, I'll give you two cows to start with. Sound good?"

Again, Makoto nodded. "Sounds good," he said flatly.

**xXxX**

Makoto found that he wished he wasn't so pushy with Barley then. As he sighed, he barely noticed that the cow and sheep he petted with each hand both seemed a bit bored. They headed off, and once they were gone, Makoto headed down the road with the presence of his memories nagging at him.

But before he could make it to the entrance of the Yodel Ranch, a voice called out to him. "Makoto! Come over here for a sec!"

Makoto turned and saw Barley standing in the middle of the Yodel Ranch's small field, waving him over. "Hop the fence!" he added. Once Makoto had headed over, Barley asked: "So, how's your livestock doing, Makoto?"

"The new cow's doing great," Makoto answered, slipping his hands into his jeans pockets, making himself look cool. "Actually, yeah... everyone's well." Stroking his beard, Barley nodded.

"Good... good..." he replied, musing. Then he nodded again. "Listen, Makoto, how would you like to have a horse?"

Nodding, Makoto replied: "That'd be cool." He still found himself nervous around Barley, so he stammered a bit. "I'd love to have a horse."

"Great!" Barley said, clapping his chapped hands together and rubbing them vigorously. "Now, I want you to look at Henry, so you can make up your mind about him first." With that, he motioned to his stable off along the fence at the opposite side of the ranch, overlooking the forest.

"Henry?" Makoto asked curiously, arching an eyebrow. Something seemed strange about a horse named Henry.

Inside the stable, a monstrously huge horse with a dark mane snorted and stomped at the ground, catching Makoto's attention. He loudly gulped. "What's the matter?" Barley asked him, looking up at him.

"Uhh... nothing," Makoto hastily replied. "Dry throat." With that, Barley nudged Makoto, and then hobbled over towards Henry. Gulping again, Makoto followed. Once he came closer, he could see that Henry was even taller than he was. He noted that aloud as the two of them stopped a few feet from the stable.

"And you're a tall guy," Barley replied, looking Makoto up and down. "How tall are you?"

"Six foot four," Makoto answered, shrinking back as he stared uneasily at Henry. The horse sniffed at the air and snorted. For some reason, Makoto expected Henry to stare him down, but he didn't. Instead, his eyes seemed dull and milky-looking.

"Oohh... boy, Henry must be close to twenty hands, then," Barley laughed. "Come to think of it, I've never seen a horse this big, though of course it isn't unheard of." As Makoto kept examining Henry's eyes, he found himself baffled.

"I read about animals having milky eyes like that," he noted. "Is he sick or something?" He looked over at Barley, who shook his head.

"Naw, he's just blind," he said. Frowning, he added: "I got him from a friend of mine who runs his own ranch. He was about to put poor Henry out to pasture not long after he was foaled, so I asked him if he could bring him over here instead." Then he stroked his beard, looking thoughtful. "In fact..." he continued. "Joe took him for a while before he died. Henry's about eight now, I reckon..."

"So you've had him since Joe died?" Makoto asked. Barley nodded.

"Yup. A few days before he died, he gave me all of his livestock, including old Henry," he answered. "I'm caring for a few of his older cows and sheep now." Makoto nodded at that, not quite taking his eyes off of Henry for fear that he might run down the stable and rampage on the town at any minute.

Barley kept stroking Henry's muzzle. "Anyway," he continued, watching Makoto curiously. "I've been looking after Henry for over a year now. I wanted to give him to you last spring, but since you'd broken your arm, I didn't think you'd be able to handle Henry." He furrowed his brow at Makoto, who kept staring at Henry. "Are you listening to me?"

Makoto nodded and mumbled. "Yeah. Umm... sorry." When Henry gave a loud snort and stamped at the ground, he jumped and yelped. Coolly, Barley kept stroking his muzzle, placating him.

"It's getting a bit hard to care for him," he explained. "I'm getting up there in years, y'know."

Makoto arched an eyebrow at Barley. "Do you think _I _could handle Henry?" Laughing inwardly and shaking his head, Barley stepped away from Henry and walked up to Makoto.

"Of course, of course," he replied assuringly, clapping him on the arm briskly. Looking him in the eye, he added: "You've been doing well with your livestock already. And you're young. I think you'll do just fine with Henry." His face fell. "That is... if you agree to take him." When he saw Makoto still looked unsure of himself, he added: "Just try taking him for a little while, and if you feel you can't handle him, let me know, alright?"

Henry let out a loud cry, getting Makoto to gulp again. He looked nervously at Barley, who calmly petted Henry's muzzle. Knowing he would be letting him down if he refused, he finally nodded and said: "I-I'll take him."

Barley clapped his hands together again. "Great! You can pick him up tomorrow afternoon."

**xXxX**

Later on in the early evening, as the sun began setting, Makoto worked cleaning out the stable on the farm that hadn't been used in two years. Elli watched him, having come to Strawberry Fields to meet up with him before they went to have dinner at her house.

"I remember Henry," she said fondly. "We all came over here after we heard Joe had gotten a horse. Karen, of course..." She gave a laugh. "Karen wanted to see him, so we all came over here with her. He was really sweet..." Humming, she added: "Scared of his own shadow, though."

As Makoto swept the dead leaves on the floor of the stable into a pile, he mumbled something about Henry. Elli shook her head.

"Oh, Makoto," she started, smiling lopsidedly. "Don't tell me you're actually _afraid_ of him."

"He's taller than me," Makoto pouted, keeping focused on his work.

Elli gave a slight laugh. "Not by much, though, right?" Makoto groaned.

"It's kinda hard not to be afraid of him, you know," he muttered flatly, apprehensively biting his lip. Then he turned to Elli. "Elli, what if I can't handle him?" Elli clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"You'll do fine," she told him assuringly. "You're doing really good with your livestock."

Makoto sighed. "But it's different with a blind animal," he explained. "I really don't think I can handle him."

Maintaining her patience, Elli continued. "Barley wouldn't have given you Henry if he felt you weren't ready to handle him." Makoto furrowed his brow and gripped the chipped handle of his broom tightly. "He's probably more afraid of you than you are of him," she added brightly.

"I thought animals liked me," Makoto mumbled, looking at the floor. "Well, except chickens."

Elli sounded mildly flustered. "Oh, Makoto, stop putting yourself down," she told him. " Everyone says you have a knack for handling animals, and you know it. Maybe Henry just needs some time to warm up to you." But when Makoto despondently nodded, she headed over towards him, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry," she said, looking into his eyes. "You'll do fine. I promise."

For a moment, Makoto didn't reply, and instead shared the gaze. Finally, he gave a slight smirk and quietly, but teasingly, asked: "You _promise _now?" Elli couldn't help but laugh, and neither could Makoto once he saw her eyes light up. After they calmed down a bit, they stood around grinning at each other for a few moments.

Finally, Elli spoke up: "Are you almost done yet?" she asked, motioning to the pile of leaves at Makoto's feet.

"Ummmm... yeah, almost," Makoto replied, sweeping the leaves into a dustbin. With that, he set the broom and the dustbin in the corner, nodding at Elli.

"Good," she said, nodding back. "Because I have ulterior motives for coming here."

"Really now?" Makoto asked, playfully arching an eyebrow.

"Yep," Elli said, taking his hand. "I want to talk to you before we go back to my house." Makoto nodded, and the two headed out of the stable. They sat down on Makoto's porch a few minutes later. For a few moments, they idly stared out at the fields.

Finally, Elli piped up. "Your crops are looking great," she noted.

Feeling proud, Makoto replied: "I'm glad." He turned his gaze back to his fields. After a few moments he felt Elli's hand on his lap and turned to see her smiling at him.

"You know," she started, "I just wanted to thank you for everything yesterday." Before Makoto could say anything, Elli placed a hand on his and looked into his eyes, unable to help but lean forward and kiss him. After they pulled back from each other, they kept sharing their gaze.

Finally, she spoke up. "Makoto, we've been boyfriend and girlfriend since last autumn... mostly, kind of, and..." Makoto gave a slight smile, watching her expectantly as she looked away again. "What I mean is... I've never taken the time to say how much I appreciate you." She playfully rolled her eyes and added sheepishly: "Even if you drive me batty once in a while."

"I'm sorry about that," Makoto sighed, looking rueful.

With that, Elli found herself a bit rueful as well. "Well..." she continued. "It's not just that you're good to me, but that you're good to Gram and Stu. I mean, Gram loves it that you come over."

Makoto smiled. "You know I love spending time with your family," he said. With that, he let out a contented sigh. "Come here," he said softly, gently pulling Elli into a hug. "I know what you're saying... but..." He trailed. "The thing is, you've been the one who's always supported me," he said. "More than I've supported you."

"Oh, Makoto," Elli started. She sighed, pulling back from him a bit so she could get a look at his face. "If you think about it," she said brightly, "you had a lot more to deal with than I have this past year."

Makoto cast aside his gaze. "Yeah..." he agreed half-heartedly.

"Oh, Makoto..." Elli said, smiling and shaking her head haplessly. With that, she gently rubbed Makoto's cheek, gazing into his eyes. She knew what she wanted to say, but at the same time, it seemed there had to be a specific way to go about saying it. Before she could figure things out, Makoto moved forward for another kiss.

Hopefully, she would be able to tell him in time.

**xXxX**

When Makoto went to the Yodel Ranch the next day to get Henry, May noticed him right away and ran up to him. "What's up, May?" he asked as she hugged his legs. Letting go, May looked up at him and pouted, tugging on his shirt. He got down on his knees so she could talk to him.

"Grandpa says he has too much work to do today," she told him. "Can you play with me, Mackie?" Makoto looked at her ruefully.

"I'm sorry, May," he said. "I'm gonna be busy, actually. I gotta take Henry with me, you know."

"I named Henry," May piped up. Makoto arched an eyebrow. Henry still seemed like a strange name for a horse.

"Wow, that's cool..." he replied awkwardly. He didn't speak for a moment or two after that, watching instead as May fiddled with one of her pigtails. "So," he started, "would you wanna play some other time?"

"I guess," she replied glumly.

After bringing Henry back to Strawberry Fields and letting him graze for a while, Makoto tried brushing his mane. But Henry cried out each time, startling Makoto until he dropped the brush. Swearing to himself, he bent down to get it.

"How am I supposed to do this, Henry?" he finally asked, a bit frustrated as he set the brush on a shelf in the stable. But when he looked at Henry, he found himself grabbing the brush again. After all, Elli believed he could handle Henry.

With that thought, he approached Henry again and began brushing his mane. That time, Henry seemed calmer. He gave another snort, sniffing at Makoto's hoodie pocket.

"There's a treat for you in there if you're good," Makoto told him, smiling to himself. That time, Henry's snort sounded almost discontented. "Fine, fine," he sighed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sugar cube. He held it up to Henry's snout. "Take it." Henry sniffed the cube for a moment, and then licked it continuously. Cautiously, Makoto gently petted Henry's muzzle with his other hand. "Good boy," he said. "Please don't eat me."

Henry gave another grunt.

"I'll keep that in mind, sir," Makoto deadpanned.

After some trouble getting him there, Makoto left Henry in a large fenced-in pasture to graze and sun himself some more. Seeing that the horse seemed contented on his own, Makoto sat on his back fence and watched, occasionally looking at the fields down the stretch of road. He gave an acknowledging nod when Popuri waved cheerfully at him, and sighed when he saw what looked like May playing all by herself.

"Whatcha up to, Mackie?" someone suddenly asked him. Makoto craned his neck around to see Popuri coming up behind him. With that, he kicked his legs around and turned to face her.

"Not much," he mumbled. Pointing his thumb at Henry, he added: "I've got a horse."

Popuri clasped her hands together. "Awww!" she exclaimed. She craned her neck to get a better look at Henry, and then said: "Henry's soooo sweet!" But before Makoto could say anything, Popuri gave him a curious look and asked: "Say, you wouldn't happen to have gotten a letter for me, from Kai..." Sounding hopeful, she added: "Have you?" Asking him that became a habit of hers, seeing as Zack or Harris occasionally mixed up some of their mail.

"Nope," Makoto replied. He arched an eyebrow. "Why? Were you expecting him to write you?"

"Well..." Popuri started, flushing red and turning away. "I sure hope he will." She smiled. "Don't you think it would be romantic?"

Makoto found he wasn't quite sure how to respond, so he asked: "Is he still coming by this summer?"

"Of course!" Popuri promptly answered. But sounding a bit despondent, she added: "Well, I hope..."

With his eyebrow still arched, Makoto asked: "Doesn't he come _every_ summer?"

Cracking her enormous wad of gum, she cheerfully answered: "Every summer since 2000."

Makoto shook his head. "You have a crush on him, right?" Excitedly, Popuri nodded and cracked her gum again. "Weren't you... what... twelve years old then?"

Angrily tossing back her hair, Popuri said: "No! I was..." But as she counted on her fingers, she calmed down and said: "Yeah, I was twelve. But he was soooo cute!" She giggled. "I mean, he's still cute, and soooo dreamy!"

"Yeah, he's a real cutie-patootie," Makoto deadpanned. Popuri gasped.

"Makoto!" she said, beaming. "Are you _bisexual_?" In shock, Makoto nearly fell off the fence.

"What?" he sputtered, grabbing the rail to keep himself balanced. Before Popuri could repeat herself, he said: "No! What gave you that idea?"

"Well," Popuri started, giggling despite her matter-of-factly tone. "You're in love with Elli." She giggled again, but sincerely said: "I mean, you're like a puppy dog when you're talking about her." Flustered, Makoto rolled his eyes, though it was better than having Karen compare him to a teddy bear. "And now, you think Kai is cute!" With another giggle, she said: "You have good taste in boys, Mackie."

Makoto rolled his eyes again, and humoring her, said flatly: "Yeah, okay. Whatever. I like boys."

"I knew it!" Popuri chirped. Makoto found himself wishing she would stop giggling, but nothing could stop her once she got started.

"I don't swing that way, Popuri," he explained, burying his face in his palm. "I like _girls_."

Popuri rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mackie..." she said, sing-song and giggling. "Your secret's safe with me."

Groaning inaudibly, Makoto decided to change the subject. "So..." he started. "You're May's neighbor. What do you usually see her up to?" When he saw Popuri looked a bit baffled, he added: "I'm just curious."

"Oh," Popuri said, looking upset. "I feel so bad for her. She usually just plays by herself..." She pointed to the wooden fence between the Poultry and the Yodel Ranch. "She likes to come over to play with me once in a while, though." Makoto nodded, watching as Popuri cast her gaze away thoughtfully. "Hey," she said, looking over at him again. "I saw you and Stu playing together the other day. I think it's so sweet that you help Elli out like that."

"Well, Stu's a good kid."

"You're such a good boyfriend!" Popuri added. Casting his gaze at the ground, Makoto shook his head, quietly disagreeing. Popuri huffed. "Oh, come on, Mackie!" she said, placing her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes.

Makoto shook his head. "Listen," he said. "I'm feeling bad for May, and for Stu. It's like they have nothing to do." Popuri nodded, and cocked her head at him curiously at he fished for the words. "I mean, what would you, Elli, Karen, Ann and Rick do around here when you guys were their age?"

"We all used to play together all the time," Popuri replied. "It was fun." Makoto nodded, waiting for her to say more. "Sometimes we'd spend days in church. Old Pastor Brown used to watch over us and tutor us and everything." She pondered something, and then said: "Oh yeah. I like to go to church on Sundays to talk to Carter. Anyway, he was telling me last week about how he would like to do a little more than sit around in the church all day, writing sermons..."

Arching an eyebrow, Makoto asked: "He said it like that?"

"Yep," Popuri answered. "He told me that he's noticed how May and Stu are always by themselves, so..."

For the first time throughout their conversation, Makoto gave a broad smile. "So, he wants to help?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Popuri replied excitedly.

"That's awesome," Makoto said. Popuri nodded, but suddenly seemed a bit ho-hum.

"Yeah, but then he went on about how he wasn't sure if he could take on May and Stu," she told him. "He said he would be willing to pick them up and watch them and stuff, but he's not sure if he could handle little kids."

Makoto furrowed his brow. "Well, Stu and May seem to get along," he pointed out. "And they're good kids."

"Yeah, Stu's all mature for his age," Popuri added. "And May's real sweet." Since it seemed like a perfect arrangement for Carter to watch over May and Stu, Makoto found he couldn't understand the reasons behind his reluctance.

"Popuri, do you think you could help me convince Carter that maybe it might be better for all of them to do this?" Makoto asked. Popuri tilted her head a bit from side to side as she considered Makoto's question, not seeming entirely willing.

"I don't know if I'd be able to," she replied.

Shrugging, Makoto said: "Well, that's cool. I'll talk to him."

"You really shouldn't force him to do it," Popuri told him. "If he doesn't want to, then he doesn't want to." Makoto frowned.

"I'm not gonna force him," he replied. After idly glancing at his watch, he said: "Crap, it's getting late." Looking up at Popuri, he said: "I gotta get Henry back in his stable so I can get ready to head to Elli's for dinner."

Popuri nodded. "Oh, okay then. I need to help Mom with dinner, too," she said, cracking her gum. She waved him goodbye. "Byeeee!" Makoto gave her a quick nod as he hopped off the fence, and then headed off to get Henry.

**xXxX**

Makoto arrived at Elli's house to find everyone else in the front yard. It seemed Stu had been protesting about keeping May company while the adults prepared dinner. Elli came up behind him, ruffled his hair, and said: "Go on and play for a little while before dinner." Stu took another look at May, and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I'll play with her," he groaned. May, however, didn't seem discouraged. She laughed and grabbed Stu by the hand, dragging her groaning friend along as she skipped happily along the side of the house. Once they were gone, Elli greeted Makoto, and then spoke up to Ellen and Barley.

"I hope Stu and May can start playing together more often," she said. "I think it does the both of them a world of good."

Makoto thought about telling them about Carter, but then realized that it probably wouldn't be best to say anything without knowing for sure if Carter wanted to watch over Stu and May all the time. As Ellen and Barley ambled up the walkway to the house, Elli stayed back with Makoto to give him a kiss. With that, the two of them headed up the walkway as well. On the way, Makoto craned his neck to get a better look at May and Stu.

"Get a load of Stu," he said quietly, stopping Elli. "He's smiling."

When Elli looked over, she broke out with a broad smile. Makoto couldn't help but share it. "And he says he doesn't like playing with her," she replied wryly.

**xXxX**

After about an hour of cooking and preparing dinner, Ellen spoke to Elli.

"Elli, dearie," she said. "The children are probably playing in the back yard. Do you think you could go get them?"

"Sure thing, Gram," Elli replied, drying off her hands. After she left the kitchen, Makoto came up behind Ellen, quietly excusing himself as he reached for the utensil drawer. She smiled at him, catching his attention.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I just wanted to thank you for being so good to Elli when she really needed you, dear," Ellen told him warmly. He turned from the drawer to get a better view of her, unsure of what to say.

"I..." he stammered, shaking his head. "I was just..."

"Elli talks about you a lot," Ellen continued fondly. She chuckled as she leaned on the counter, and looking out the window overlooking the front yard added: "Even when she's upset with you." She paused. "I know she can be reserved, and I see she's that way around you." Turning back to Makoto, she said kindly: "But she really feels for you, Makoto."

Makoto looked out at the yard as well just as Elli had stepped outside, watching her brush back her hair as she trekked across the yard. Finally, seeing Ellen kindly smiling at him reminded him to answer.

"Do you remember that talk we had when I first got here?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Makoto... you really love her," she replied. "Don't you?"

Still watching Elli talking to Stu and May, he idly asked: "How do you know?"

Ellen shook her head haplessly, gently touching his arm. "Oh, Makoto..." she said quietly as she headed for the stove. With that, Makoto opened up the drawer to get the utensils he needed. Once he finished, he took one last look at Elli. Then he turned from the window and headed, utensils in hand, to the dining room to set the table.

Outside, Elli watched as Stu and May headed back into the house, laughing to herself when she saw Stu making a point to stay ahead of May. May began running after him calling out: "Wait for me, Stu!" He finally did wait for her on the front stoop, bored, as she caught up.

After a moment or so, a voice stirred her from her thoughts.

"Hey."

It was the Doctor. Elli looked over, where she saw him approaching from the Library. Since it was late for him to be returning, Elli figured his trip must have lasted longer than he had anticipated.

"Hey, Tim," Elli said, trotting up to meet him. "How was your trip?"

The Doctor smiled faintly, giving a slight laugh. "Alright. But it turned out I had some more work to do than I thought." After Elli had taken notice to the circles underneath his eyes, he added: "I'm _exhausted_."

Elli nodded. "You look like you could use some rest." The Doctor agreed quietly. For a moment or two, they stood around, avoiding eye contact. Finally, the Doctor spoke up.

"Well, I gotta go," he said. "See you tomorrow." Elli smiled at him, but before she even realized it, he leaned forth and kissed her on the cheek. She stood there, unsure what to say or do. "Enjoy your evening," the Doctor said hastily, looking a little rueful.

"Yeah..." Elli said. "See you later." The Doctor pulled his backpack over his shoulder, still doing his best not to meet her eye. As he stepped off the lawn and headed down the cobblestone path, she watched him, sighing. She couldn't figure out why the Doctor chose to come around after she had gotten together with Makoto.

Finally, she headed back inside. As she stepped in the foyer, Makoto came out of the kitchen, careful not to tip the heavy pot of soup he held as he headed for the table. Then Elli found herself biting her lip, hoping Makoto hadn't seen the Doctor kiss her.

After a moment or two, Makoto came back into the foyer. "What're you doing just standing here?" he asked, cracking a small smile.

Elli shook her head. "Sorry about that," she said sheepishly. "I just kinda zoned out."

Makoto chuckled. "Come here," he said softly. Slipping one hand on Elli's cheek and the other on her waist, he leaned forth and kissed her. Maybe, Elli thought as she pulled herself closer and shared the kiss, that it wasn't best to worry about whether or not Makoto saw anything. He would've known that something was bothering her if she worried about it too much anyway, so she allowed herself to enjoy their moment together.

**xXxX**

After dinner and a conversation about what everyone planned on cooking for Sunday's cooking festival, Elli showed Makoto to the door. They stalled at the front stoop, sharing a few goodnight kisses. Finally, it came the time when Makoto had to leave. But he didn't leave after they stepped back from each other.

"What's the matter?" Elli laughed, eyeing him.

He shook his head, smiling inwardly.

"Nothing," he said quickly. But when Elli gave him a humored, curious look, he continued. "There was just this look on your face today when Stu and May were playing together..." Elli let out a laugh and smiled at him. "The way you smiled, though... it was really... I dunno," After he realized he was stammering too much, he just smiled lopsidedly and shook his head. "Your eyes just lit up, and you just seemed so happy."

By then, Elli knew her ears were turning red. Makoto looked embarrassed as well. He shook his head and mumbled: "Well, that's stupid of me to say it. Of course you'd be happy."

Elli looked him up and down, and wryly said: "You're really sweet, you know that?"

"You really think so?" Makoto asked. In response, Elli stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. When they broke away, all he found he could say was: "Goodnight, Elli." With that, he stepped off the stoop and made his way down the front path.

There was something to be said, and as Elli stood on the stoop and lamely waved to him, she knew it. Makoto smiled at her all the way down the path leading to the cobblestone road, and then turned.

Elli couldn't take it anymore. "Makoto!" she called out, snagging his attention. He turned to her, still wearing that smile of his that she couldn't help but share. After a moment or two, however, that smile of his became more of a 'Well... what are you going to say?' expression. Elli sighed. "Listen, Makoto," she said as she stepped off the stoop and walked up to him. "It's kind of silly, really," she started, nervously diverting her gaze.

After another bout of silence, Makoto spoke up. "You seem weird tonight, Elli," he said flatly, furrowing his brow.

"No, it's nothing," Elli blurted out. Makoto arched an eyebrow at her. "No!" she added, shaking her head. Then she looked at him, though he didn't look entirely convinced. "I really need to tell you something." Makoto watched her quietly. "It's just that... I..." She shook her head, diverting her gaze.

"You're nervous," Makoto told her. Elli's smile showed it.

"No I'm not," she lied. "Not at all." When Makoto eyed her incredulously, she mumbled: "Well... maybe a little."

Sounding a little sick, Makoto said: "You're making _me_ nervous, Elli."

"Makoto, I love you."

Once she said it, she found she wasn't sure whether she should've said it or not. But to her, it was as if she couldn't control her mouth. The next moment felt like five or ten minutes of silence, during which Makoto stared, mouth agape and speechless. Elli couldn't tell whether he was happy or shocked; she was too dumbfounded with what she had said. Both pleasure and regret overcame her.

"You do?" Makoto asked flatly, arching an eyebrow. His mouth twitched, and Elli hated it. It could either turn into a smile or a frown. But before Elli could say anything, Makoto gave something of a laugh and said: "You realize I'm the happiest guy in the world right now, right?"

"Well..." Elli started shyly, keeping her focus on the ground. But in Makoto's silence, she found herself looked back up at him.

"I just didn't know when or how to say it," he told her. "But I wanted to tell you..." He trailed, gazing into her eyes. Finally, as he moved forward for a kiss, Elli stood on her tiptoes to meet him. At least he was happy.

After they broke away, Makoto still kept her close. "I love you too, Elli," he said. "A lot." He rubbed her back gently, and though not intentionally, stirred her attention. She looked up at him, just as he leaned down for another kiss. It seemed everything was right.

They spent some time outside that warm evening, oblivious to Stu and May watching from the living room window. May looked on with great interest, but after a moment or so, Stu gagged and turned away.

"Gram!" he whined, heading up to Ellen as she rocked in her chair. "Elli and Makoto are being all gross again!"

Ellen looked to Barley, and the two of them shared a laugh. "Young love," she said to him fondly.

**xXxX**

After Makoto had gone home, and after Barley and May had left as well, Elli and Ellen put Stu to bed. But as Ellen was about to head into her bedroom herself, Elli, without thinking twice, stopped her.

"Gram," she started quietly. Ellen turned around, concerned. "Can I talk to you?"

Ellen smiled. "Of course."

Over some camomile tea, they sat at the kitchen table. Elli held out on speaking right away, so Ellen had to give her some gentle prodding to get her to say something.

Elli sighed. "Tonight..." she started. She idly pulled the string on the tea bag, watching the color of the tea leaves seep into the warm water. "Tonight, I told Makoto that I loved him." Ellen quietly watched her troubled granddaughter. "But looking back on it, I think it was too soon to say it."

"You're just worried, dearie," Ellen told her kindly. "It's a big step to say 'I love you'."

Elli nodded. "But I know myself. I shouldn't be this confused," she explained solemnly. "I mean, I don't think there should be any reason for me to feel so apprehensive." Ellen listened. "I know I'm probably making this more complicated than it really is..." She shook her head. "I've always liked talking with Makoto, ever since he first got here. Then I started liking him, because I felt that we clicked getting along, even though we had a bit of a rocky patch at first."

She sighed again. "And now, Makoto's been a great boyfriend, even if does some stupid things once in a while." By then, she was entirely ignoring her tea. As she fished for the words, she watched as Ellen, with her eyes on her, took a sip from her own cup. "I know Makoto's not the most expressive of people, but he's always sure to show me that he loves me. Kind of like Grandpa, right?" She paused. Ellen nodded fondly.

Elli smiled faintly, and then finally took a sip of her lukewarm tea. "And then," she continued. "Makoto comes over here and has dinner with us, when he really shouldn't have to. I mean, what do you think of him, Gram?"

Ellen smiled. "His heart's in the right place," she said. Pushing back a strand of her short hair and looking idly to the slowly rotating ceiling fan, Elli nodded and smiled again.

"He thinks you're great, Gram," she replied. "And he really likes Stu, and Stu likes him." Resting her face on her palm, she pondered some more. "There's no doubt that Makoto's a good guy." As she spoke, she traced circles on the table with her finger. "I was upset about Mom and Dad the other day, and he stayed with me and let me cry my eyes out, and he talked with me about it, and he assured me I was doing fine with Stu, and he called me beautiful!" She said all of that with one breath, and by the time she finished, she ran her hands through her hair.

"Tonight," she continued, "when I told him I love him, I don't know why I said it." She sighed. "I feel for him, Gram. I really do love him." She paused. "But I wasn't ready to tell him, and it just came out." She shook her head. "But there's no reason, with everything he does, that I should be so confused about this."

Ellen rose from her seat and headed over to Elli. After watching her for a moment, she leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Looking up at her, Elli sighed. "I hate being all confused and wound up over this, Gram."

Ellen smiled and replied: "It's just part of being in love, Elli."

After that, she bid Elli goodnight and went off to bed. Elli stayed in the kitchen late, idly sipping her tea. Either she really was making things too complicated, and Ellen was right to kindly dismissing her, or she really had a problem. After a while of pondering, she figured she needed to get off to bed, reminding herself that she had to get up early for work the next day.

But as she thought about work, she stopped short, keeping her finger on the kitchen light switch. Her hand fell at her side. "Oh, God..." she whispered to herself.

She still might have been making things more complicated than she needed to, but then again, Doctor Tim could've been the reason she found herself so apprehensive over Makoto.

**xXxX**

**Hopefully Ellen came out alright in this chapter. I think this is the most I've had to write her at once. **

**Anyway, I figured that since I usually take some time between chapters (cough), I would give little previews here and there about what's coming up. So, you've probably guessed that Jeff and Sasha are gonna meet up with this art collector soon... that's coming up soon. I was thinking of doing the cooking festival as a "Bonus" chapter, a shorter chapter assuming it doesn't turn into a full lengther between now and when I post it. Oh yeah... Elli. Poor Elli. Is she gonna be swayed, or is she gonna stick to her decision? You'll find out within the next 1000 years. **

**Thanks all for reading/reviewing. And now, shout-outs.** **Evanescent Shadow: **Damn for not allowing you to express your inner fangirl! (Or for not allowing any of us to express our inner fangirl in that case.) **Terra89:** Hope you enjoy that Wii and PSP. I'm envious :). Yep, May is gonna be showing up a bit more often now, thankfully. **Chii of Spades: **Thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. **Rhianwen:** That really means alot. Hopefully I can keep it up. :) And I think you're the winner of the "Guess What Stones Jeff Has" contest.

Until next time.


	12. Money

Strawberry Fields**- The Swashbuckling Tale of Midgets and Their Struggle Against Communist Ninjas  
**

**To my awesome readers, I ended the last chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger, what with Elli upset over her confusion between the Doctor and Makoto. Now I give you this chapter... err... red herring? It might even be a bit funny. Anyway, keep an eye out for what might happen later on... or just keep an eye out for what's going on now.  
**

**Sorry it took so long. School once again has been pretty rough, and not to mention, my laptop monitor burnt out and I couldn't really get around to polishing the last bits of this chapter for another week. But anyway, enjoy!**

**xXxX **

It started when Jeff dropped one of Sasha's favorite plates. Sasha spent the rest of the morning sighing about it, while Jeff sat at the edge of his chair, biting his fingernails. "I wish you wouldn't do that, Jeff," Sasha sighed for the third or fourth time that week.

In the few days before the art collector's visit, Jeff jumped at small noises and often sighed and moaned, while Sasha sometimes lost her patience trying to calm him down. Karen, meanwhile, spent a lot of time outside the house. Time spent together often gave way to bickering.

"There's two days left until the submission deadline," Karen pointed out in the middle of one dispute. "I really think you should send it in, Dad. And if you want it in before the deadline, we need to send it_ tonight_."

The family stood around in the shop, cleaning so they could close up before the collector would visit. Sasha looked up from the open cash register and shook her head. "Karen, we've told you enough times," she said. "Your father doesn't want to enter the contest anymore." She cut an upset stare in Jeff's direction, who looked up from his clipboard and inventory list. Then he looked over at the shelves lining the wall.

"I just don't know about it, Sasha..." he sighed. But when he found he couldn't explain himself, Karen gave a groan. Meekly, Jeff mumbled something about not being able to compete with all the other contestants. Then he turned away and fell silent, shifting his concentration to his checklist.

Finally finished with the broom and dustpan, Karen took the two and headed for the back room. "I don't get it," she said over her shoulder. "You'll kick any other contestant's asses. What reason do you have _not _to enter?"

"Karen..." Sasha started, her patience quickly thinning. Karen took her cue to step out of the house.

"I can't believe him!" she said to Elli about fifteen minutes later. "He knows damn well he'd win that contest!" All the while, Elli watched bemusedly as she ranted and stalked around the clinic's lobby. Finally, Karen stopped and turned to her for an answer.

"Well," she started as she finished filing away some paperwork in a few folders. She gave a wry smile. "I think you should steal it and send it in yourself."

Karen mused, and then clapped. "Elli, that's brilliant!" she said, her eyes flashing. Sighing, Elli shook her head.

"Karen, you know I wasn't being serious..." she told her friend sheepishly. Furrowing her brow, she added: "Right?"

"Well, whether you were serious or not, it's a great idea," Karen replied. "I even considered it last week, but..." She shook her head, and shrugged.

"You considering it doesn't make it a great idea, does it?" Elli asked dryly. Karen rolled her eyes and pretended to ignore her, looking thoughtful. With that, Elli turned around, opened up the file cabinet, and put away the folders.

"Elli, you're getting off work in ten, right?

Elli shut the cabinet and turned around again, craning her neck to get a better look at the clock hanging above the two plush chairs in the waiting area. "You're not implying that you want me to help you steal your father's painting, right?" she asked while looking at the clock. "Because if that's the case, then I have _loads_ of overtime." With not-so-convincing conviction, she turned back to Karen and added: "I mean, overtime like you wouldn't believe."

Karen gave a slightly exasperated groan. "You were doodling on the back of those insurance forms when I came in," she pointed out. Dropping her pen in the pencil cup on her desk, Elli sighed.

"Fine," she said. "I'll get my jacket. But I can't take too long... I need to get home to help Gram with dinner in about a half-hour."

"No problem," Karen replied. "Thanks for coming, though. That painting's a bit heavy. Rick didn't want any part in this when I told him about it last week."

Elli rolled her eyes playfully. "I wonder why," she said sardonically, unable to help but give a laugh.

A little while later, the two of them stood in Karen's cozy living room. For a few moments, Elli looked around at the prints of various artists hanging on the walls. What resembled a chaotic Jackson Pollock painting hung above a cushy, black leather sofa, and a few more Gaugin and Van Gogh prints adorned the other walls. Only one painting was an original, and that was Jeff's painting. Karen pointed it out to Elli, and said: "Well, here it is."

"Wow..." Elli replied, speechless. "It's really amazing." Then she turned to Karen. "Why doesn't your father want to enter it? Is he really attached to it, or something?"

"Nah..." Karen replied. "He's just being idiotic, thinking he couldn't compete in a contest." Groaning, she shook her head. "It's really ridiculous. He has no confidence sometimes. That's why he lets everyone run up tabs and walk all over him."

Elli looked sorrowful. "Poor Jeff," she sighed. Karen nodded.

"Yeah," she continued, looking upset. "So that's why I want to enter the painting for him..." She turned to Elli. "He's always talked about entering art contests, but he never does. I'm just tired of him always saying he'll do it without actually doing it, you know? Especially when he can totally win."

Nodding, Elli replied: "I understand." She glanced at the painting again. "But I just had a consult with the little angel and devil versions of me..." She pointed at each of her shoulders. "And I dunno about this whole stealing thing."

"You didn't have a consult, you liar," Karen joked. "And anyway, it's not technically stealing..." Karen reminded her. "I mean, it's hanging in _my_ living room. Besides, they'll even ship it back after the contest. Taking it and shipping it out there would actually be a good thing."

"You mean stealing it and shipping it out there would be a good thing," Elli corrected. "I mean, technicalities aside, this qualifies as thievery."

Rolling her eyes, Karen said: "Cut it out already and make sure my folks aren't around."

"But I'm no good at heists," Elli insisted.

"You'll do just fine," Karen told her, giving her a shove in the direction of the hallway. For a moment, Elli stood there stubbornly and folded her arms over her chest until finally, she bemusedly made her way to the doorway. But then, she looked across the hallway and noticed Jeff and Sasha sitting down at the kitchen table with a few cups of tea.

"Ummm... Karen?" she asked, turning back. Karen watched her curiously, tucking the painting under one arm and groaning slightly under the weight of it. Speaking so Sasha and Jeff wouldn't overhear, Elli said: "You might have to distract your parents if you want to go through with this hair-brained scheme of yours in the next half-hour."

Karen smacked her forehead. "Aww... crap," she said. But before Elli knew it, Karen shoved the painting into her hands. "Take this and split when I give you the cue."

"Oh, great," Elli said dryly.

Karen rolled her eyes at her as she headed out of the living room. Shaking her head haplessly, Elli tucked the painting under one arm and turned to watch Karen head into the hallway. From the kitchen, she could hear her asking about what time the art collector would be coming the next day.

Finally, she craned her neck over to see Karen had her parents facing their backs to the living room entrance. Karen gave her a cue, and she crept out into the hall. Her heart pounded the whole time, but before she knew it, she had made her way down the hallway lined with Jeff's colorful paintings and towards the door leading into the empty supermarket.

Meanwhile, Sasha turned around, much to Karen's dismay, and looked into the living room. Curiously turning back to Karen, she calmly asked: "Sweetie, where did Elli go?" Playing along, Karen coolly peered into the living room as well, and then replied:

"I have no idea."

It seemed Sasha didn't notice the missing painting. From the kitchen, Karen couldn't tell if it was there or not either. "Well, I hope she didn't leave," Sasha added. "I wanted to see if she would stay for dinner."

"She probably had to run," Karen replied with just a twinge of a cheeky smile. Sasha looked upon her with suspicion, until Karen headed for the kitchen door. "Well, I wanted to go meet Rick at the square for a few minutes, but _I'll _definitely be back for dinner." She sniffed at the air, fighting her smirk. "Meatloaf, Mom?"

"London broil," Sasha informed her.

"Great," Karen replied. She kissed her mom on the cheek. "Love ya, Mom." Looking at Jeff as she headed out of the kitchen, she added: "Love ya, Dad. See you in a bit."

Once she had left, Sasha turned to Jeff, who was sitting at the table. "I don't like what's going on there," she said, both cross and humored.

"Maybe Elli's up to no good," Jeff quipped.

Sasha rolled her eyes at him as she sat down at the table. "Don't be ridiculous, Jeff." She looked to the stack of letters sitting between her and her husband. "Anyway..." she continued, picking up a letter off the top and handing it across the table to Jeff. "This came in the mail today."

Gulping, Jeff looked over the address, as if ready to puke. Sasha cast a grim look over the kitchen table as Jeff opened up the letter. After wincing at Sasha, he turned his attention to the notice clutched in his hands, his hands shaking as he read it.

"Close it down..." he uttered in a weak voice. "They..." He then handed the letter to Sasha, who took it and read it. Jeff could see her brow furrow as she read further down the page, and held a hand over his upset stomach. Once Sasha got to the threat about having their store closed down within the next year, she parted her lips, almost fearfully Then her eyebrows quickly arched up her forehead once found out by how much she and her husband were in debt. Jeff couldn't fathom how reading that number only got her to shake her head and push the letter back across the table, when he felt a war being raged on his insides that would without fail send him running for his medicine.

"Well," Sasha began in a business-like tone, "We have to raise the money." Her expression hardened. "This is why I keep telling you not to sell to our customers on credit," she told him severely.

Looking pallid, Jeff tried to say something but couldn't. Instead, he gulped and gripped his knees.

"Look at all this," Sasha said, indicating to the five or six bills sitting before her. She shook her head. "Listen, Jeff. We're going to get this money to pay these bills before next Monday, so you're going to _not sell to anyone on credit_..." Jeff winced, as he hated it each occasion when his wife teetered on losing her patience with him. "I'll try to help you out when I can, so we'll leave Karen to our dirty work." She considered it for a moment. "Maybe Makoto can be a dear and help too, since he's got his community service." With that, she looked to Jeff, who looked like he wanted to speak. "What is it, dear?" she asked, considerably less snippy.

"Do you think the art collector's really going to buy something of mine tomorrow?" he asked nervously.

"Oh, Jeff," Sasha said, her green eyes soft, "Your art is beautiful. He's bound to buy something." She mused, and added: "Besides, he wouldn't come by if he wasn't interested."

"I dunno..."

"_Jeff_," Sasha said sternly.

"If he does, whatever he'll pay us should hold us over," Jeff sighed. "Then..."

"Then we get the rest back from our customers," Sasha finished. She furrowed her brow. "Especially from_ you-know-who_."

Jeff gulped again, staring nervously at the tabletop.

**xXxX  
**

With the painting in tow, Elli and Karen headed down to the shore. Zack stepped outside from his cabin and greeted them as they crossed the sand. After they left the painting with him, they headed back up the stairs leading to Rose Square. By then, the sun began setting. Looking over at Elli, Karen broke the silence between them.

"Alright, Elli," she piped up, giving a sigh. "You're too quiet. Talk about something."

Elli looked up at the pink-streaked sky. "Lovely day," she noted wryly. Giving an exasperated sigh and an eyeroll, Karen shook her head.

"I mean about you and Mackie." When Elli arched her eyebrows curiously, Karen said: "I mean, I haven't seen you or him around much for the past few days, so..."

Masking her apprehensiveness coolly, Elli cast a gaze skyward. She put on a smile. "You know, it's been great. He's been really happy these past few days."

They stopped in the middle of the square, and Karen broke out with a devilish smile. "Ohhhh... Elli... what'd you do to him?" Then and there, Elli found herself overcome with the urge to tell Karen about everything that had been on her mind over the past few days about Makoto, and whether or not she still had feelings for Doctor Tim. She shied away, tugging at her jacket sleeve.

"Well..." she started. "I told him... those... three words..." She trailed, only able to give a weak smile. Karen beamed.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "That's great!"

"But something's off," Elli continued, looking over at Karen and cutting her elation short. Karen watched her in curious silence. "Yeah..." Elli added, diverting her gaze again. That time, Karen chortled.

"What could _possibly_ be off?" she asked. Elli shook her head, unsure where to start. But before she could start, she found herself shrugging. "Come on, Elli," Karen continued. "You have a good... albeit daffy-" She rolled her eyes a bit as she said that, "-boyfriend who's really into you." Musing, she added: "And though he can be an idiot sometimes, he really does look out for you."

Elli smiled. "Well..." she said. "That's true." Karen grinned in response.

"Yup," she said. Laughing, she added: "You should've seen him come in to see what me and my mom thought about the stuff he got you for your birthday." Once she said that, Elli found herself fiddling with her necklace. She smiled again.

"Well... maybe I'm just being a bit daffy here."

Karen nodded. "You sure are," she agreed.

"And it's a big step, saying the whole 'I love you' thing," Elli added with conviction.

"It sure is," Karen told her, smiling. When Elli nodded again, Karen's expression gave way to a more sincere one. "Hey, chin up, Elli. Don't worry. I think you're just looking too much into this."

Giving a slight sigh of relief, Elli said: "Well, yeah, I guess I was just overreacting." She smiled fondly.

"You sure were..." Karen told her. The two shared a laugh, though Elli did so nervously. Silence fell after that, until Karen began quietly humming a song. With that, Elli turned her gaze towards the colorful tulips and roses lining Rose Square, idly twirling her necklace all the while.

**xXxX  
**

Strangely enough, neither Jeff nor Sasha said anything to Karen about the missing painting that evening. But the next day, as Jeff sulked out of the kitchen after breakfast to shave his scant stubble and change into a suit, Sasha let out a sigh and said: "You know, you didn't have to steal your father's painting, Karen." Looking up at her from her bowl of cereal, Karen sighed."Well, you know your father wouldn't have sent out the painting anyway," Sasha pointed out. "I'm glad you decided to send it."

Karen smirked, setting down her spoon on the side of the bowl. "So you're not upset at me?"

"You should've waited for me," Sasha told her, shutting off the sink and placing a bowl in the adjacent dish rack. "If you had just said you were set on sending it in yourself, I would've helped you." She clicked her tongue, and turned around. "Instead, you made Elli steal the painting," she said, heading for the table.

"I didn't _make_ her steal it," Karen replied, shrugging as her mother sat down. "She could've refused at any time." Feigning consideration, she added: "I think she secretly gets a thrill from getting in trouble." Sasha pulled a quart of milk and a jar of sugar close, adding some of each to her coffee.

A few moments passed. "Huh," she piped up. "I'm surprised Elli stole it."

Snickering, Karen replied: "Yeah, it's kinda crazy, considering Elli." She gave another chortle, swirling around a few fruity loops before scooping them up. "The craziest thing she's ever done was cut her hair short." Sasha let out a laugh, shaking her head.

**xXxX  
**

The art collector, a man with tightly-fringed, grey hair and thin lips chiseled into a half-snarl acknowledged Karen in passing after she let him into the house. He looked about the Cardone's home, humming in disapproval at the chaotic Pollock print hanging in the foyer. Without being beckoned forth by Sasha, he proceeded into the living room and stared at the Gaugin and Van Gogh prints hanging on the wall, nodding.

Jeff, dressed in a dark suit, stood in the center of a semi circle of three propped-up oil paintings, waiting patiently for the gallery owner to notice him. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Good day, Mr..." But Jeff trailed as the older man turned an icy stare upon him, finding himself at a complete loss for his name.

"Mr. Spungen," he replied, looking at Jeff's paintings with seemingly lukewarm interest. Jeff nodded nervously, giving a sick-looking glance as a straight-faced Sasha entered the room.

"Mr. Spungen..." he repeated to himself nervously. "Did... did you find our town okay?"

"Well, I had to park out by the shore, and then I had to take an hour-long ferry ride over here." Jeff nodded weakly, and then said:

"Well, you could've stayed at Doug's Inn last night instead." But when he set focus upon Mr. Spungen's humorless expression, he found himself regretting his words.

"I can assure you, Mr. Cardone," Mr. Spungen said, turning away from the paintings, "that I don't need you dictating my schedule to me." He sighed. "Now I'll have to spend all day here before I can catch the next ferry out."

Jeff's face fell. "Right..." he mumbled, nodding quickly. "So... you..."

Wordlessly, the Mr. Spungen turned up his nose and looked at the painting nearest him, a sprawling, almost surreal landscape. With all that cock-eyed staring, it seemed he'd pop a vein in his head. After a few moments, he nodded and looked at the next painting.

"That's one of my daughter," Jeff explained, motioning to the portrait of a slightly younger Karen looking out a window during the sunset. No one could doubt Jeff's talent with the canvas and his subjects, but once again, it was hard to tell if Mr. Spungen was impressed or not.

"Lots of people in town really like that one," Sasha chimed in.

"Yes," Mr. Spungen replied half-heartedly. "But I'm sure the people living out here aren't as learned in art as one would expect."

Miffed, Sasha opened her mouth to reply, but the collector just nodded her off and looked at a painting hanging over the sofa with the same expression from before.

"Oh, but..." Jeff started, unable to catch his attention. He pointed lamely at the third painting he wanted to show off, but Mr. Spungen seemed entirely uninterested. Finally, he gave a laugh, pointing to the chaotic painting hanging above the leather sofa.

"Did you paint that pale imitation of a Pollock painting, Mr. Cardone?" he asked haughtily.

Jeff turned away, embarrassed. "Yes..." he admitted. Mr. Spungen arched his eyebrows at him, and then gave a bemused huff.

"What possessed you...?" he asked, shaking his head. Jeff tugged at his collar nervously.

"Well, it's really just here because Sasha thought the colors went nicely with our living room," he replied, stealing a glance at his painting.

"I see," Mr. Spungen said with an emotionless chuckle. He paused, looking at Jeff over the top. of his glasses. "Tell me where I can get a coffee, Mr. Cardone."

With a sheepish grin, Jeff said: "I can put a pot on." The gallery owner shook his head.

"No," he replied. "Tell me where I can get a coffee, and maybe a bite to eat."

Defeated, Jeff sighed. "Head out and straight down that road you'll see when you get out of here," he told the gallery owner. "You'll see the inn on your right."

"Thank you," Mr. Spungen said insincerely. Once he left, Jeff dragged himself to the leather sofa, threw himself down, and let out a heaving sigh. By then, Karen entered the living room and waited by the T.V, looking at her parents expectantly. Her face fell into a frown once she noticed Jeff sighing and slumping.

"Oh, honey," Sasha said, sitting down next to him. "He didn't come out all this way for nothing. He's going to buy something of yours."

Jeff shook his head. "I don't know," he replied, crestfallen. But then, he moaned. "Sasha... what was I thinking?" he asked, wallowing. "I'm nowhere near as good as Gaugin or Pollock." Giving a sigh, he added: "I'm not even anywhere near as good as that guy who painted the black canvas."

Karen groaned under her breath. "I don't know if I'd call that_ good_..." she muttered, rolling her eyes. Sasha looked up at her.

"Hi, Karen," she said. She turned back to Jeff, and told him: "Now, honey, it isn't about being as good or better than them," She paused. "But if he doesn't buy your paintings, we'll be sure to get the money another way."

"Yeah, Dad," Karen chimed in. "By the way, please don't try to be as 'good'..." She gestured quotes in the air, "...as Pollock. Lord knows I don't want to see you naked and high and drunk as all hell, pedaling around on a unicycle and throwing paint all over the place."

"Oh, Karen," Sasha said, looking over her shoulder at her again. "You know your father doesn't have the balance for a unicycle."

**xXxX  
**

Meanwhile, at the Inn, Makoto was on his way out as Mr. Spungen was on his way in. But he must've looked at him strangely, because the collector's expression turned sour.

"Get out of my way!" he said grumpily. Makoto shrugged and stepped aside, only for him to sneer and add: "What the hell are you, a Beatle?"

"No, I'm a Monkee."

Mr. Spungen didn't look amused. "You could stand to get a haircut," he huffed.

"Would you like to give me one?" Makoto deadpanned, arching his eyebrows. Sputtering, the gallery owner pushed past Makoto and headed inside Makoto turned and flipped him the bird behind his back. But then he suddenly saw himself from the year before in place of the art collector, and others in town, swearing and talking behind his back and dishing at him rude gestures of their own.

With a sigh, he headed on his way to Anna's house. He hadn't seen much of her since confronting her about Stu and Elli, so it seemed not seeing her at all was the best thing for both of them. Still, he thought, standing up for Stu and Elli was the right thing to do, even if that meant being the target of more of her disapproving stares. With that thought, he sulked as he walked.

But when he got there, he found himself greeted warmly. "Good morning, Makoto," Anna said, smiling as she let him in. "How are you today?"

At first, Makoto arched an eyebrow at her, but then looked at her and replied: "Ummm... I'm alright," as he headed inside. For a while, he did his usual work watering her plants and making sure all the stalks were growing alright. But then, she insisted on letting him go early. As he headed back into her kitchen, she beckoned for him to sit down.

"I want to talk to you, actually," she said. Makoto arched his eyebrow again, but then sat down at her kitchen table. She set a glass of iced tea in front of him. "You must be thirsty."

"Thanks..." Makoto replied, smiling slightly. He took a sip of the tea, and then set the glass back onto the coaster. "It's good," he told her.

"Thank you," she replied, sitting down across from him.

For the moment or two that she didn't speak, Makoto looked around the drab kitchen awkwardly. "So..." he started, looking back at her. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well," Anna said, "I must apologize to you, Makoto." When she saw Makoto watching her curiously, she continued. "I've apologized to Elli, but you deserve an apology, too." Idly, she looked out the porch window at her garden, glowing in the late morning light. When Makoto turned to look at her garden with her, Anna continued.

"I can see that you're struggling when you're trying to do the right thing," she said. "And sometimes you do the wrong thing, but..." All the while, Makoto watched her, engrossed in her words. "You can learn to do the right thing..." she told him, "...and stand up for people without losing your temper." But when Makoto sighed in disbelief, she continued. "You showed me that just a few days ago when you stood up for Elli."

"But I yelled at everyone to shut up," he replied, fiddling with his glass.

It was Anna's turn to let out a sigh. "I guess we were being out of hand, Makoto. You were right in what you did."

"But I don't want to be such a jerk about it," Makoto said despondently. "I don't want to be coming off as that moron who bosses everyone around, especially when it's not my place." Anna nodded, but didn't say anything as Makoto stared at the tabletop, his eyes intense.

Then she sighed, for a moment clutching her face as she watched him. After a moment or so, she looked up at him and warmly said: "Don't be hard on yourself, Makoto." When Makoto looked up at her, she added: "You're a good kid."

For the first time during their conversation, Makoto gave a weak smile. "Thanks," he said.

They sat there for a little while after that, sipping at their iced tea in silence that for once wasn't cold. Makoto gave Anna the occasional smile, and she always returned it. Finally, just as the two had finished their tea, the doorbell rang. Anna stood up, taking Makoto's glass from him, and headed for the sink.

"That must be Elli at the door," she noted, placing down the glasses. Perking up, Makoto gave a smile. "You usually meet her for lunch, right?" she asked, coming back to the table.

"When we have time," Makoto told her, looking up at her. Anna nodded, and beckoned for Makoto to follow her out of the kitchen. As they passed the small table outside the kitchen door covered in framed photos, he didn't even take a look at the picture of Anna and her dark-haired friend. When they reached the door, she turned to him.

"And I'll see you..." She trailed, catching his attention with an expectant expression.

"Ummm... well, I'm gonna be busy with my crops over the next few days," Makoto replied. "But I can come after that."

Anna cracked a small smile. "You don't have to come over then, you know. Your community service is over in a few days." As Makoto stood up from the couch and crossed the living room, he warmly replied:

"I know that."

As she watched him leave, Anna shook her head, unable to help but keep smiling as she watched the girls greet Makoto. Makoto leaned forth, shared a kiss with Elli, and then the three of them headed down the road.

As they passed the library, Makoto looked over at Elli and asked: "So, where's Stu? I thought he'd want to hang out with you today."

"Ohh... he ditched me," she replied with a smirk. "Popuri volunteered to watch over him and May." Makoto nodded, smiling when Elli added: "You know, I think he's got a crush on her."

"On May?" Makoto asked, arching an eyebrow.

Elli laughed. "On Popuri," she told him, rolling her eyes. Furtively smirking, Makoto quietly something about Popuri, for which Elli gave him a playful shove. But something seemed wrong when Karen didn't get in on the laughter. Makoto turned to her and furrowed his brow in concern.

"What's the matter?" he asked her.

Karen groaned. "I have no idea if this guy's gonna buy my dad's paintings," she told him. "I was just about to tell Elli..." She looked over at Elli briefly. "My mom's insisting that he will, but the way Dad puts it, the guy didn't seem too thrilled."

"I guess he wasted a trip, then," Elli told her. When Karen stared at her rather crossly, she said: "I mean, he _did_ come out all this way after seeing pictures of your dad's work. He wouldn't come out all this way only to go home empty-handed, would he?"

"I dunno..." Karen sighed. "The guy seems _weird_." She glowered, kicking a pebble down the street. "Probably has nothing better to do than to scoff at art."

Makoto looked thoughtful. "I saw some of your dad's stuff once," he said. "He's a hell of a painter."

"Yeah!" Elli agreed, giving a smile. Karen nodded at that, but when she still seemed a bit upset, she leaned over towards Makoto and whispered: "Karen's really bummed out about this. We should try to cheer her up."

With that, Makoto looked over at Karen. "You should cheer up," he told her. They came to a stop in front of the grassy, open space between the Cooper house and Mayor Thomas's house.

"Yeah, this is coming from Mr. Sunshine himself," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him. Turning to Elli, Makoto gave a shrug. "Mom and Dad are both busy..." Karen added. She glowered."...So I guess I'll feel better shaking money out of deadbeats."

"You're in the mob?" Elli asked.

"I can see it," Makoto commented, exchanging a smirk with her. Karen groaned at them.

"Oh, shut up and go make out or something, you guys." For a moment, Makoto and Elli looked each other up and down, smirking, until Karen cleared her throat loudly. "Or better yet, you can be my partners in crime." She looked to the two of them. "Are you guys busy?" Both Elli and Makoto shook their heads. "Great, because I need to collect a few tabs."

"Hey, I was your partner in crime yesterday," Elli said, playfully pouting. Arching his eyebrow curiously, Makoto looked from Elli, to Karen, and back to Elli again, but when neither of them filled him in on the crime, he shrugged and stayed quiet as they continued down the road.

"I guess we can start with the Mayor," Karen noted, getting a look at his small house down the stretch of road.

They continued on their way, agreeing to stop at Elli's house afterwards for lunch so Elli could explain to her grandmother that she get the shopping done because Jeff and Sasha closed the store for a few hours. Thankfully for them, getting the money from Mayor Thomas proved a relatively easy task. He insisted they stay for split pea soup, but they quickly made polite excuses when they realized the color of the gunk bubbling in the pot was a bit too off, even for split pea soup.

"I'm actually allergic to peas," Elli fibbed. She grinned sheepishly. "They really don't do me well."

The Mayor looked dejected. "Oh... that's a real shame." He still looked worried, but before anyone could say anything else, Karen noted the time aloud and ushered Elli and Makoto out the door.

Once they stepped outside, Makoto remarked: "I'm never eating split pea soup again." Elli gave a sheepish laugh and shook her head as Makoto reached for her hand. Karen didn't say anything, and instead quietly ratted off all the names of tabs she had collected earlier that day as she tucked the money into the satchel at her side.

Meanwhile, Duke and Aja stepped out of the clinic. Duke walked slowly alongside Aja as she limped, holding out his arm for her to take. But then, much to his chagrin, he noticed Karen standing with Makoto and Elli outside the Mayor's house.

Karen instantly spotted him. "Hey, Duke," she said as he approached, sounding like she meant business. "Pay up your tab." Her expression hardened. "_Now_."

He didn't initially respond, but as he passed, he mumbled: "I'll pay later."

Instead of saying anything, Karen stood back and grumbled to herself once Duke and Aja were out of an earshot. Makoto looked up ahead and could've sworn he saw Aja telling her father something along the lines of paying his tab, but Duke simply shook his head and laughed offhandedly.

"Come on," Elli gently insisted. "I'm sure you'll get him to pay up later." Karen simply grumbled about what a jerk Duke was.

"I can't believe you didn't just shake the money from him," Makoto commented, getting a sigh from Karen. Once he said that, Elli leaned in towards him.

"Remember, she's upset," she reminded him, quietly and a bit sternly. "She's having an off-day." Makoto nodded. With that, Elli turned to Karen. "Here, let's head back to my place now. I'm sure Gram would love to talk with you."

Karen nodded. "Yeah... that sounds good," she agreed good-naturedly while balling her hand into a fist. Then she grumbled: "Friggin' Duke... I'm gonna wring his neck."

After lunch, the three of them headed back outside only to see Mr. Spungen standing between the Supermarket and the Clinic with his back turned. Karen craned her neck curiously. "Who do you think he's talking to?" Elli asked, doing the same.

Finally, Karen caught a glimpse of who it was. "That's Rick!" she exclaimed. With that, she motioned to Makoto and Elli, and they followed her down the path. They strayed into the Mayor's lawn and stopped, watching the two talk. Sure enough, Rick was standing across from Mr. Spungen, holding out his arms as he spoke. Craning his neck, Makoto squinted to get a better look at his lips.

"He's telling him that your dad's a really talented painter..." he reported. "I think he's saying something about his landscapes... and Mother's Hill, or something..." Squinting again, he then muttered: "Crap, I need my contacts." But by then, Karen understood. She briefly exchanged a smile with Elli, and then looked at Rick again.

"He's amazing..." she said, watching him. "He's putting a good word in for my dad." For the first time all day, she grinned. "I can't believe him!"

"He looks impressed," Elli pointed out once Mr. Spungen and Rick turned a bit. She placed a hand on Makoto's arm. "Makoto, can you tell what he saying?"

Makoto watched him again, remaining quiet for a moment. In his silence, both Elli and Karen leaned forth in anticipation. Finally, he smiled at them and said: "I think he's going to buy one of the paintings."

"Yes!" Karen hissed. Grinning still, she took another long look at Rick and said: "That boyfriend of mine is alright, huh?"

While the collector answered a cellphone call, Rick turned from the spot and headed in the direction of side road where Karen listened with Makoto and Elli. His face brightened at the sight of Karen.

"Karen!" he called, waving. But before he could approach Karen, she tackled him with a hug as Makoto and Elli watched. "You heard me talking to that guy?" he asked, sounding a bit baffled as he slipped his arms around her. Karen looked up at him.

"Totally," she replied, grinning.

It seemed Rick would've swelled with pride if he didn't look so confused. Still, he let Karen kiss him, gladly. Diverting her gaze from Karen and Rick, Elli leaned towards Makoto and whispered: "Let's get out of here now." Makoto nodded in agreement. With that, they crept up the road until they were well out of an earshot. They headed in the direction of the Supermarket, but stopped when they saw Duke coming up the perpendicular road. "Look who Karen's missing," Elli said, keeping her voice low.

Duke headed into the Supermarket. "I guess Jeff and Sasha will get him," Makoto said, giving a shrug. Then he looked over at Elli. "Let's head over so you can get your shopping done."

Elli smiled at him. "You want to help?" she asked, a little incredulously. When Makoto nodded, she smiled and said: "Thanks, Makoto." She mused, putting two fingers to the side of her face. "I don't think Karen would mind we skip out the rest of this debt collecting. I paid the Doctor's tab earlier, and it seems there's only Duke left, anyway." With that, the two of them headed over for the Supermarket. Sure enough, they arrived inside to see Duke, arms full of spot groceries. Jeff stood behind the counter, one hand on his stomach as he watched Duke apprehensively.

"Put this on my tab, Jeff," Duke said jovially as he approached the counter and placed down his groceries. When Jeff stammered inaudibly, Duke furrowed his brow. "What was that?" he asked, giving a smile.

Jeff gulped. "I said..." A hard stare from Duke got him stammering even more. "I said... You've gotta pay your tab, Duke," he continued. "You've had yours too long, and..." He paused, staring at the counter top. "You've racked up too much on it."

Duke shrugged. "Okay," he said. "Good point." Jeff sighed in relief. "But," Duke continued, "I'll pay you on Saturday. I've been telling you all week that I would."

Any sign of Jeff's relief faded. He nodded and mumbled: "Oh... right..."

Makoto looked over at Elli again, who whispered: "I wonder where Sasha is. She'd straighten him out." But it seemed Sasha had stepped out. On that thought, Makoto drew in a long breath, fixing his focus on Duke.

"Duke, you'll pay now," he said. Duke spun around, furrowing his brow but keeping up his jovial smile all the while.

"C'mon, Makoto, Elli," he began, looking at the two. "You guys think I have the right to pay on Saturday, right?" He said that with a shifty-eyed glance, a manipulative look that told Makoto he was better off agreeing.

"In all honesty, Duke, you should pay now," Elli said politely.

Offhandedly, Duke blew her off, muttering: "Ahhh... forget you, then." He turned to Makoto. Under his stare, Makoto rubbed his increasingly sweaty palms with the tips of his fingers. "Well?" Duke pressed.

Elli just stared up at him resolutely. Finally, he took a deep breath. "You have to pay," he told Duke. "You're taking advantage of Jeff."

"Hey. Jeff's a nice guy!" Duke chuckled. "He wouldn't mind--" Makoto shook his head.

"Pay now," he repeated, striding up to Duke and looking him square in the eye. "You're disregarding the fact that Jeff has bills to pay. That means you're taking advantage of him."

Duke let out an audible groan, but was sure to breathe in and out a few times before continuing.

"Listen, Mac," he said. "I think you're a good kid. I can even go as far to say that I like you." With that, he gave Makoto a flash of a glare, a look of his that could cut anyone down to size.

It wasn't easy for Makoto, standing up to someone who actually admitted to liking him. He took a deep breath, and looked Duke in the eye. "I like you too, Duke," he said. "I think you're a good man. But I'm not obligated to kiss up to you."

Jeff and Elli looked at Duke. For a moment, it seemed he boiled with anger behind his stoic expression. But finally, he clapped a hand on Makoto's shoulder and nodded firmly.

"Alright," he said. Backing off, he kept his focus on Makoto's eyes and added: "You're right, Makoto." Still nodding, he added: "I'll pay my tab back to Jeff now."

"Thanks," Makoto said with his own nod. Duke reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet as he approached Jeff at the counter.

"Here," he mumbled, fishing the money from the flaps and placing it on the counter. Jeff nodded, but then looked up at Duke as he placed yet more money on the counter. Over the next minute or so, Duke mumbled numbers under his breath as he pulled more and more money from his wallet. A small grin broke out on Jeff's face. "That should be everything," Duke finally noted.

"Thanks, Duke," Jeff replied, taking the money and organizing the bills into a small stack.

"Yeah," Duke groaned, tucking his considerably thinner wallet into his back pocket. With that, he waited as Jeff bagged his groceries, sure to leave hastily.

Once he had left and Karen and Sasha had entered, Jeff counted the money Duke handed him. "This should be enough to pay off some of those bills," he announced with a sigh of relief. Karen shook her head and rolled her eyes, muttering something about Duke racking up such a huge tab as she helped Elli bag her groceries.

"And with whatever the collector decides to pay, we should be entirely paid off," Sasha pointed out, handing a brown paper bag over to Elli.

Jeff beamed. "And assuming I win that contest, we can have some money to spare," he added. Then he grinned at Karen. "We could even put it towards a wedding for you one day, Karen."

"Oh, so it's okay that I stole your painting now?" Karen asked. When her parents answered her with stern looks, she nodded and said: "I guess not."

"Yeah, Karen," Elli said jokingly. "Thievery is never okay."

Nodding, Sasha asked: "Elli, weren't_ you_ the one who ran out with the painting?"

Shamed, Elli averted her eyes. "Yes," she admitted, covering her reddening face with one hand. From next to her, Makoto stared, arching an eyebrow. When she noticed him, she gave a sigh, flushing red. Shaking his head, he pushed back her hair and examined her reddened ears.

Karen gave a sigh. "But I roped her into it," she told her mother. Sasha nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but Elli piped up before she could.

"But Karen, I could've stopped you if I wanted," she admitted.

"Oh Lord," Makoto sighed, shaking his head haplessly. "I can't believe this." Though smiling lopsidedly at the same time, Elli sighed and buried her head in his arm. "There, there..." he deadpanned, putting his arm around her. The others cracked up for a moment or two, that was, until Karen hushed them.

"Mom, Dad, we shouldn't have a laugh at Elli's expense."

Sasha shook her head haplessly, and then looked over at Elli, who by then found herself able to show her face. "Yeah, don't worry, Elli," she said. "We all still love you."

"Exactly," Makoto said, looking over at her as well. Still red in the face, she smiled at him, and then at everyone else, and sheepishly said:

"Awww... thanks, you guys." Makoto chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. For another moment or two, Jeff kept packing up Elli's groceries. Makoto and Elli broke away from each other and headed up to him to help him finish.

Once they finished, he spoke up. "Thanks for sticking up for me too, Makoto," he said. Makoto shook his head.

"But I almost didn't..." he replied quietly. Elli, Karen, and Sasha all sighed, and Jeff grinned. After getting a good look at all of them, Makoto gave a sigh and nodded.

After Elli finished with her shopping, Makoto gave her a hand taking the bags back to her house. Once they stepped out of the supermarket, Elli spoke up. "I'm proud of you, Makoto," she said. When Makoto looked over at her curiously, she added: "I mean, you stood up to Duke."

"Yeah..." Makoto replied glumly.

Patiently, Elli continued. "But the thing is, you did it even after he said that he liked you," she pointed out. "You didn't let him take advantage of you or Jeff." Slowing down their pace, Elli gazed into Makoto's eyes and told him: "I mean it. I'm really proud of you."

They stopped. With that, Elli shifted the weight of the bags, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Makoto. When they broke away, a lopsided smile spread over Makoto's face.

"In that case, I'm glad you're proud of me," he said wryly. Elli laughed and shared the smile, all while he kept looking into her eyes. "You know, Elli..." he started. "I was a little worried about you for the past few days." Elli's smile faded, something Makoto noticed. "Oh, no," he said hastily. "I was just worried that..." But he trailed.

Elli furrowed her brow. "What were you worried about?" she asked quietly. For a moment or two, Makoto wouldn't answer. Finally, he spoke up, giving a smile again.

"Nothing," he said. He gave a sigh of relief. "I just need to stop worrying." With that, he leaned forth and gave her another kiss. It seemed that there was no need for worries, not when Elli had a boy who loved her.

Once they broke away, she gave a contented sigh. "This is really great, Makoto," she said. Makoto nodded, looking into her eyes.

"It sure is," he replied.

They stood around for a few moments after that. Then they headed off down the cobblestone road again. When Makoto idly looked to the side of the road, he noticed Mr. Spungen tucking his cellphone back into his pocket. Once he noticed him, Mr. Spungen grumbled. They passed him quickly, wanting to get out of an earshot.

"Makoto, what did you do to get him upset?" she asked, looking up at him with a slight glare. Makoto stalled, furrowing his brow and looking at the ground.

"I think I looked at him funny..." he admitted after a moment or so. He looked over at her again. "Then I asked him if he wanted to give me a haircut, since he didn't seem to like my mop."

"Oh..." Elli said dryly. "I see." Giving a laugh, she shook her head haplessly. "Ohh, Makoto..." With that, she smiled at him, getting him to share it with her. As the two headed back for her house, they cracked up laughing.

**xXxX  
**

Meanwhile, Mr. Spungen entered the Supermarket. Darting out from behind the counter, Jeff stood and waited for him apprehensively. After Mr. Spungen made his way over towards him, he stood there and turned up his nose.

"Alright, Mr. Cardone," he finally muttered, pulling out his checkbook from his inside pocket. As he wrote, he added: "This is my only offer for those paintings of yours, got it?" With that, he tore the page from the book and handed it to Jeff. His jaw dropped.

"Wow," he said, his eyes lighting up as he read the check. For a moment, he battled speechlessness. "Th-thanks, Mr. Spungen," he finally stammered, nervously chuckling. "I don't know what to say..."

"Just wrap the paintings up already," Mr. Spungen grumbled.

Jeff gave a nervous grin. "With gusto, Mr. Spungen."

At the end of the day, Jeff gleefully neglected taking his Pepto, called up the bill collectors, and told them that he would send the money his family owed the next day. Afterwards, he poured himself and Sasha glasses of wine, and took them to the living room. Sasha waited for him inside, thanking him when he handed her a glass.

"Finally, we get to relax," she said, giving a sigh of relief. Jeff nodded. Then Sasha turned and beckoned for him to join her on the couch, but before she could head off, Jeff reached out, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her close. "Wow!" she exclaimed in pleasant surprise, looking him over.

Jeff gazed into her eyes, and before Sasha could say anything else, he leaned forth and shared with her a long kiss. He gave her a boyish grin afterwards as they swayed gently to the sounds of the rock ballad coming from the stereo in Karen's bedroom, enjoying some peace for the first time in a while.

**xXxX **

**Okay, so I think you guys probably figured that Jeff was gonna get the money from the art collector straight-away, but what I really wanted to shed some light on was their family situation since I was building up to it over the past few chapters. I originally wanted Mr. Spungen to refuse Jeff's paintings, but I figured that wouldn't make much sense seeing that he went entirely out of his way just to see them.  
**

**Anyway, there's still more to come on these characters- I really like them, and I really want to stick to my intention of shedding light on characters we didn't really get to look at during In My Life. Duke got a bit of a slap in the face here, and we got to see Rick and Karen's relationship in a more positive light. Or hopefully, I conveyed all of that. :)  
**

**Anyway, it's time for those shout-outs. EvanescentShadow, **who's recently gotten back to writing. Check out her new story "Snapshots", guys. It's really a sweet and sincere JackxElli story... I think you guys would dig it. And indeed, boys are totally silly and indecisive. I'm glad you thought I kept true to Elli's character as well... thanks a million! **Chii of Spades... **yup... hopefully Makoto can handle Henry. Sorry for trailing off when I said I'd do a festival chapter, but there was something I wasn't sure about upon finishing it, so I might just leave it aside for now and post it on its own, or later in this story (after altering loads of it, of course). Thanks a mill! **JustWrite**, a new reviewer (who's written The Ebb and Flow of My Life... another reccomendation from me)... I'm glad you enjoyed reading all of In My Life/Strawberry Fields. Thanks so much! I hope you keep enjoying it... and I'm gonna be looking out for more E&F. Likewise, I'm gonna hope Elli figures everything out here. **Take care everyone, and thanks as always for reading! Now to kick back and enjoy this spring break of mine.**

**Until next time.**


	13. The End Of Spring

Strawberry Fields- **Madness?!?! THIS IS... oh wait, it's not Sparta**

**Update (5.1.7)- There seems to be quite a few typos floating around here, namingly in the form of needlessly repeated repeated words... words, so hopefully, I can clean them up. Thanks to people who've been bringing them up.  
**

**It's the end of Spring in Strawberry Fields. I didn't want a two-part chapter at first, but I got one. Part II to this should hopefully soon follow up.**

**Oh yeah, and about the updating delay... errr... surprisingly, it wasn't so much the semester's workload as it was writer's block that got to me. For some reason, I had loads of drafts with this chapter instead of the usual one or two. Anyway... onto it!**

**xXxX  
**

"First," Makoto started eagerly, slipping his arm around Elli's waist as he spoke, "I'm going to go for those turnips and cukes." They were sitting out on her front stoop that evening. "I'm gonna get up really early, take care of the animals, eat, and then head out to the fields. Then I'll be working until five every day." He smiled at Elli. "It'll be about four days of that, but I should be good. I'll even have enough time to meet you for dinner and everything." Then he stopped speaking, waiting for her input.

Elli wasn't sure if she should show her doubt, knowing Makoto would have lost any confidence he had mustered. Makoto had the capability to do a lot of work, but it seemed that spring he planted more than one person could handle. "I think you can do it, Makoto," Elli told him, getting him to smile. "Just be careful working so long out there, okay?"

"Of course," Makoto replied. "You'd scold me if I hurt myself."

"I know," Elli agreed, and the two of them chuckled. Then she wryly asked: "That's a reason to avoid it then, isn't it?"

"No, it's not," Makoto deadpanned. "You're cute when you're scolding me." Mildly flustered, Elli rolled her eyes and gave him a playful jab. Laughing, he held her back and said: "I mean it."

"You're not supposed to like it when someone scolds you, Makoto," Elli told him, trying her best to sound stern as she fought back laugher.

"No, I said I liked it when you scold me," Makoto deadpanned again. The two of them shared a laugh at that. When they stopped laughing, they gazed at each other as Makoto cupped Elli's face in his hand. Then he leaned forth, kissing her tenderly. "Thanks for believing in me, Elli," he said when they broke away.

But Elli had to speak her mind. "It _is_ a lot of work, Makoto," she said as the two of them stood up.

"I know," Makoto admitted. "It really is... but..." He took her hands, looking into her eyes. "I have a good reason to keep it up." Elli found she didn't know how to reply aside from entwining her fingers in his and saying:

"I'll help you too, okay?" Makoto smiled. "You know..." Elli continued. "I just want to make sure you'll get through all of it okay. But here's something for the romantic gesture..."

"What?"

Pulling his arms around her waist, Elli stood on her tiptoes and kissed him deeply, leaving him grinning to himself after she settled back onto her feet. "I love when you have your way with me," he told her. Elli sputtered, feeling her ears going red.

When Makoto laughed, she gave him a playful shove down the path before he could brush back her hair and glance at her ears. "Makoto!" she exclaimed.

"You know I do," he told her in his deadpan drawl, playfully pouting. Exasperated, she shook her head and sighed.

"Yes, I know." When he smirked at her, she regained her bearings and added: "Nevermind, Makoto. It's late, and you should get to bed."

"You too."

She rolled her eyes at him, and sheepishly said: "Goodnight, Makoto."

Smirking still, he replied: "Goodnight, Elli."

All throughout his walk home, he hummed to himself. But when he finally made it back to his house, he realized before heading inside that he hadn't checked his mailbox that morning. After all, it was due time his father sent him a letter, if he actually found the time to do so.

Makoto took in a deep breath and prepped himself before opening the mailbox, finding himself nervous at the prospect of seeing what his father thought of everything he had been up to during his time in Mineral Town. But then, that trepidation quickly vanished when Makoto saw nothing inside at all. Shrugging, he shut the flap, quietly reminding himself to put a flag on his mailbox as he headed for his house.

**xXxX**

That evening, the Doctor locked up the clinic and headed straight for the church. Feeling his palms sweat as he gripped the brass knob, he took in a deep breath and opened up one of the huge, heavy doors, entering the almost eeriely quiet church. At first, he couldn't see where Carter was sitting in the dim lighting. But as he walked down the aisle, he caught sight of his sandy blond hair.

Carter didn't seem to hear him enter, that was, until the Doctor came up right behind him. "Hey, Tim," he said, looking up as the Doctor sat down next to him in the pew. The Doctor nodded in acknowledgment.

"What's up, Carter?"

Carter shook his head. "Not much. Just a quiet day."

A few moments came during which neither of them spoke. Carter settled into the pew and idly stared off at the vivid, stained glass images in the altar, while the Doctor sighed.

"What's up with you, Tim?" Carter asked him. "Everything okay?"

Lying, Tim mumbled: "Yeah." without looking at Carter. Carter stood up and picked up a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from the pew in front of him. After pouring out a glass each, he handed a glass to Tim and kept one for himself. "Thanks."

"You haven't been yourself lately," Carter noted, sitting back down. He took a sip of his whiskey as Tim did the same.

"I know," Tim muttered. He looked at the golden liquid and swirled it around in his glass before he took another sip.

Carter watched him, taking the occasional sip. But when Tim didn't say anything, he piped up. "Does it have to do with Elli?" Tim inwardly nodded, remaining quiet.

Finally, Tim hastily said: "It's ridiculous. I shouldn't be moping over an eighteen-year-old." He couldn't bring himself to look at Carter after that, and instead stared blankly at his whiskey. When Carter was just about to speak, Tim interrupted and asked: "Did you like that Chomsky book I lent you?"

Carter smiled, going along with him. "I sure did," he replied. "It was excellent." He kicked up his legs on the pew in front and propped up the back of his head with his free hand, leaning back as they carried on about the book. Tim relaxed as well, staying comfortable just so long as he didn't have to talk about Elli.

**xXxX**

Early the next morning, once Elli made it to the clinic, she started on some paperwork. But no more than five minutes later, Duke and Manna rushed up to the front desk in panic, furiously scratching at their arms and faces. "Elli!" Manna started. "Help us!"

"What happened?" she asked calmly. Of course, asking them wasn't much use. The both of them launched into explanations. Manna gave as many unnecessary details as possible, while Duke yelled at her to shut up between every few words of his story. "You have to be quiet!" Elli sternly said to the both of them, cutting them her usual sideways glare. In shock at her outburst, the two of them fell silent. After taking a breath, Elli smiled sweetly and continued. "Now, Duke, Manna... did you guys have an allergic reaction to something? Maybe something you ate?"

They nodded.

"And you're both feeling sick? Nauseous?" They nodded again. For a few moments, Elli pondered what could have been wrong. There was something in one of her textbooks about salmonella and E-coli poisoning. But telling Duke and Manna that would send them into another panic.

"It's either salmonella or E-coli poisoning," the Doctor said from the partitions. Elli sighed, shaking her head.

Though both Duke and Manna's faces were covered in rashes, Elli could've sworn she saw them turn a sick shade of green. With a sheepish grin, she turned to the Doctor and said: "Way to go. I love horrified patients." The Doctor shrugged, and Manna slammed her hands on the desk, wide-eyed.

"S-salmonella??" she stammered. Duke sputtered.

"And isn't E-coli that killer disease from Africa?"

"Yes," Elli replied dryly. "Except it's called ebola." Becoming serious again, but maintaining kindness in her voice, she added: "But you'll be alright. It's not that bad." With that, she looked to the Doctor and asked: "Right, Doctor?"

For a moment, the Doctor didn't reply and instead stared back, almost blankly. When Elli smiled in order to get a reply out of him, he looked to Duke and Manna. "Right." Still, neither Duke or Manna seemed convinced.

"But this is food poisoning we have, right?" Duke asked the Doctor, scratching at his rashy chin for a moment.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Then the door opened again, and in came Ann dragging Cliff and Gray forcibly by the arms, followed by Doug. "You guys need to get checked out!" she grumbled when futilely tried pulling away from her. Once she shoved them towards the front desk, everyone else could see that they too had broken out in rashes. Arching his eyebrows as he idly scribbled down notes on his clipboard, the Doctor looked from one patient to the next.

"What happened to all of you?" But when they all began clamoring loudly, he growled."Okay, okay!" he snapped, holding up his hands. Everyone else fell silent and watched him as he cut them all a disapproving stare. "One at a time," he continued sternly. "What happened?"

Duke spoke up. "We all ate at Doug's last night--"

"We were all eating at Doug's last night," Manna piped up, getting Duke to mutter under his breath as she went off on one of her usual expositions. "Usually his cod is to die for--"

"Thanks," Doug piped up.

"And it was last night, too. But afterwards, Duke and I went home and just broke out in these rashes." Sighing, she added: "It was terrible! Awful!" She spun around and jabbed a finger at Doug. "I can't believe your cooking did this to us!" Ann diverted her eyes at that, and instead stared at the tiles on the floor.

"Manna!" Duke snapped. Manna fell silent, miffed. "Okay," Duke continued, turning to the Doctor and motioning to Gray and Cliff. "I don't know about these guys, but anyway... Manna and I went home. We were fine for a few hours. Then we broke out in these rashes and started vomiting."

"Same thing with us," Cliff told the Doctor, pointing to himself and Gray. Glassy-eyed, Gray mumbled an agreement and stared blankly at the medicine shelf behind Elli's desk. Nodding, Tim jotted down some notes on his clipboard. A wail from Manna broke his concentration.

"Doctor!" she cried, shoving her forearms in his face. "Look at this rash! It's terrible!"

"I see it," the Doctor grumbled irritably, motioning for her to take a step back. Then he turned his focus back to his clipboard and crossed out a word he had accidently spelled incorrectly. "In fact, I noticed it from the moment you walked in."

"You don't need to be such a grump about it, Doctor," Manna snipped.

The Doctor glanced up again and shook his head. "And," he continued, focusing on his paperwork, "why didn't you guys come to me last night?" That time, Duke spoke up before Manna could. Manna huffed and stood back, folding her arms over her chest.

"Frankly, Doc, we weren't that bad off last night," Duke informed the Doctor.

Manna groaned. "Just what are you talking about, Duke??" she demanded. "We were terrible!" Then she turned to Tim. "It just didn't seem right to disturb you so late at night. I mean, I don't know where you actually live..." Duke grumbled something along the lines of 'I didn't want to say that', rolling his eyes at Manna.

Doing his best to ignore Duke, the Doctor humorlessly replied: "Here."

"...And, well..." Manna went on, "it just didn't seem right."

Arching his eyebrows, the Doctor looked around at everyone and slowly said: "Well, I have to do my job to take care of all of you." Both Duke and Manna shrugged. With a slight sigh, the Doctor looked over at Gray and Cliff. "Why didn't you guys come last night?"

Moaning, Cliff said: "Ugh... we thought we could just sleep it off. But like Duke and Manna, we just got sicker this morning."

With that, Tim nodded and jotted down a few more notes. "Okay..." he started, turning away from everyone else. He briefly looked up at Elli. "Get them settled in, okay?" She nodded, and then turned to everyone else, taking notice to the spot of blood on Manna's arm.

"You don't have enough beds in the infirmary!" Manna exclaimed, scratching her forearm furiously.

"Yes, but we have extra cots that could be set up," Elli replied. When Manna sighed loudly, Elli watched her scratch at her arm and added: "They're surprisingly comfy." Then she furrowed her brow disapprovingly. "And stop scratching. You'll only irritate your skin more."

"But I can't help it!" Manna whined, scratching her slightly puffy cheeks.

"Oh, yes you can," Elli replied, managing a smile.

Manna wailed. "Ohhh!" Groaning, she added: "I feel so terrible!"

"Listen," Elli said, getting Manna to look over at her. With an assuring smile, she said: "You'll be just fine here." Looking at everyone else, she added: "All of you. I promise."

**xXxX**

After Elli made sure everyone had settled in at the infirmary, she told Ann and Doug she would be back out in the lobby with the Doctor so they could ask them about the food poisoning incident. Then she joined the Doctor in his office, where he was writing on a white board wheeled out in the middle of the room. Elli stood and listened to the squeaking of the marker against the board, unable to see over the Doctor's shoulder as he quickly wrote.

"Hmm... this reminds me of _House_," she said dryly after a bit.

The Doctor nodded and set the marker on top of the board, but then found himself unable to say anything in return. After a moment or so of silence, he spoke up. "Well," he started, pointing to his writing. "We have four people who ate cod at the Inn last night experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, fever, rash, and abdominal pain."

"Allergic reaction?" Elli suggested.

"Not to cod that they've eaten before," the Doctor replied.

Elli nodded. "That's right," she said. "Manna's mentioned that she's eaten it before."

"Yep."

For a moment, Elli put her fingers to her face, mulling over the matter. "It hasn't been cooked properly," she said. "And it can't be salmonella, because breaking out in rashes isn't a symptom." She looked to the Doctor for his input, smiling when he nodded approvingly. "And it's not E-Coli, because that doesn't cause fever."

"Good," the Doctor said, cracking a slight smile that made Elli shyly give one of her own. "What they have isn't what doctors would usually suspect. What these guys were infected by was.." He trailed off, and wrote "PLESIOMONAS SHIGELLOIDES" in huge letters across the bottom of the board. "Plesiomonas shigelloides," he said, turning to face Elli again and awaiting her response.

"This sounds familiar..." She pondered, and finally answered. "It can't be treated with penicillin, right?" Almost giving a grin, the Doctor nodded. "Is everyone going to be okay?" Elli asked him. "I mean..."

The Doctor shook his head haplessly. "They'll be fine," he replied, smiling tiredly. "We'll just give them some medicine and let them stay here for a day or so until they get better." With that, he pushed the board closer to the bookcase along the far wall. "So since you'll have to stay here tonight anyway, we can do some research on this type of food poisoning toget--" But once he realized what he was saying, he fell silent and broke eye contact.

"Okay," Elli hastily replied. She nodded. "Um, yeah. I just need to let Stu and Gram know that I won't be going home tonight." The Doctor turned around and nodded. "Oh..." Elli continued, watching him expectantly. "Can I take a break around eleven-thirty?"

"What's the matter?" the Doctor asked.

"Well," Elli started. "It's just that Makoto's working so hard with his harvest, and I know he won't stop to eat, so I think I should bring him something." Sighing, she added: "I wouldn't want him to pass out or get sick or anything because he wouldn't stop."

The Doctor shrugged. "Sure, yeah. You can do it." When Elli smiled and thanked him, he shook his head and added: "On second thought, go head out in ten minutes or so and leave him something. I'd rather you leave when you can still duck out, you know."

Smiling, Elli said: "Thanks, Tim."

He smiled back at her. "You know, Elli, you'll make a good wife someday."

It was almost as if he didn't realize what he had said, that was, until Elli gave a sheepish smile. The Doctor broke eye contact. To alleviate the awkwardness, she hastily said: "That's really nice of you, Doctor, but that's still a while off. I'm only eighteen."

"R-right." The Doctor clapped his hands together, and added: "Well, let's talk to Doug and Ann real quick, and I'll let you go. I have a hunch that there's something wrong with the cod itself, not their cooking."

Elli nodded, unable to say anything as the Doctor headed rather stiffly out the door. Following him, she let out a barely audible sigh.

**xXxX**

Meanwhile, Makoto kept on working throughout day, sure to keep bottles of water with him after Elli had lectured him about keeping himself properly hydrated. It wasn't too warm when he had gotten out of the house that morning so he could go and tend to his animals, but it became surprisingly hot for spring around ten that morning. The heat made him a bit dizzy, but he pressed on.

Around one o'clock, he headed back to the house so he could go to the bathroom, only to see a picnic basket sitting on the counter. Suddenly, his stomach let out a growl, reminding Makoto that he hadn't actually eaten anything since around five that morning. But just as he was going to pull out a sandwich, he found a note that read:

_Dear Makoto,_

_Keep up the good work! I didn't have the time to stay (I'll explain later- I'm really busy at work), but I left you lunch. You'll need it, and you'll like it. I made your favorite sandwich._

_I'll understand if you're too tired to make it to my house for dinner tonight. Actually, I don't think I'll make it either the way things are here. Anyway, you just worry about relaxing, okay?_ _If you don't come over tonight, then I'll come over there tomorrow. _

"Elli..." Makoto said to himself, still smiling.

_See you soon!_

_Love,_

_Elli_

He read over her neatly-written message several times, and then tucked the note into his pocket. If she hadn't brought him lunch, then he would have had nothing to eat since he had no time to go food shopping. Half-grinning to himself, he reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a sandwich, tearing off the foil. Ein trotted up to him, stopping to sniff at the air. "She's so awesome, Ein," Makoto said, just before taking a ravenous bite.

**xXxX**

The afternoon dragged on and on, and it seemed the fields were stretching out farther as Makoto kept pulling up his turnip and potato crops. The air felt stagnant to Makoto, making him nauseous as he kept struggling with dragging baskets full of crops to his shipping box. At one point, he became lightheaded, but after stopping and breathing deeply, he went back to work.

No matter how much he wanted to call it a day, he knew he couldn't. If he didn't scramble to finish his harvest over the next few days, then summer would come and his crops would wilt. After investing all the money he did in planting them, he couldn't risk losing anything.

Finally, it came time for Zack to collect his day's harvest, but he didn't do so right away. Instead, he opted to watch as Makoto dragged himself through the rows of crops. Finally, he sighed to himself. "Come on over here, Makoto!" he called out when Makoto took notice of him, waving him over. "You've had enough!"

"I still have more work to do!" Makoto called back.

From the shipping box, Zack grumbled and shook his head. "_C'mon, _kid!" Angrily chucking a turnip into the basket at his side, Makoto swore under his breath. There was no way he could have stopped, and there was no way he would allow Zack to tell him when he had done more than enough work.

"I'm not done!" he snapped. Zack hastily strode over to Makoto. But once Makoto saw him coming, he turned away and kept loading potatoes into the basket. Even though he ached everywhere, he knew he had to keep working. "I've got too much work to do, and I'm never gonna get it done if I call it quits now," he explained once Zack was in an earshot.

"You have another few days left to do it..." Zack told him angrily. "Now get inside before you kill yourself. You look like crap, man." Makoto took one last look at the half-full basket before Zack hoisted it over his shoulder and grumbled: "I'll take this." He motioned for Makoto to follow him. But before Makoto did so, he found himself unable to help but take a long look at the expanse before him.

Maybe Zack was right. He needed to call it a day.

After Makoto showered and changed, he headed out of the house, feeling sore and yawning all the while. But then, he stopped and reached into his jeans pocket, pulling out Elli's letter. "_I'll understand if you're too tired to make it to my house for dinner tonight. Actually, I don't think I'll make it either the way things are here._"

"Hey," said a girl's voice. Makoto glanced up from the letter to see Karen heading up the porch stairs. "I thought I'd tell you that Elli's really busy at the clinic right now. She's not even going home for dinner."

"Yeah." Makoto held up the letter for Karen to see. "She told me. Thanks, though." With that, he waved for Karen to come in. She followed him inside and sat down on his sofa. "I guess I shouldn't go over to her place for dinner," Makoto piped up on his way to the kitchen.

Karen smirked at him. "What's the matter?" she asked. "I thought you were adopted into their family by now."

"It'd be kinda like mooching to go over there when Elli can't make it," Makoto replied, gazing at the two opened tins of coffee and half-gallon of milk in his fridge. He searched for something in the other shelves, but only found a few slices of cheese and a bowl of strawberries. From the couch, Karen hummed in agreement, fiddling with the remote control.

"I guess," she replied, flipping on the television to the five o'clock news. The droning anchorman read a list of announcements about drag racing season, to which Karen really didn't pay attention. Instead, she watched Makoto.

Sighing, Makoto closed the fridge. "Maybe I'll get a bite at the Inn," he said as he headed back into the living room. Karen craned her neck up at him as he picked up the remote from the arm of the couch and switched to Seinfeld. For a moment, he watched as the Soup Nazi snatched back George's cup of soup, chuckling with Karen all the while. "Wanna come to the Inn with me?" he asked her after a moment, stretching.

"Nah. I'll go for a drink later," Karen replied. "I don't think it's a good idea to eat there right now anyway."

"Why?" Makoto asked, arching an eyebrow.

Karen chortled. "Wow," she said. "You don't know?" When Makoto shook his head, she continued. "Duke, Manna, Cliff, and Gray all got horrendously sick eating there last night."

"Wow. That really sucks," Makoto replied. But then, as he put two and two together, he sank onto the arm of the couch opposite from where Karen sat. "Crap... that means Elli has to deal with all that now."

Sardonically, Karen said: "Well, that's her fault for wanting to be a nurse." Makoto rolled his eyes at her, and then got up from the arm of the couch and headed for the front door. Standing up after him, Karen asked: "Where are you going?"

"I wanna make sure Elli's holding up okay," Makoto replied. "She's had a really long day without a break."

Laughing to herself, Karen followed him out the door. "Aww... widdle Mackiekins is all worried about his girlfriend..."

"Call me 'widdle Mackiekins' again and I'll..." But when he couldn't follow through on his threat, Karen simply laughed and waved him off.

"You'll do _what_, now?" When Makoto couldn't answer, he shot a glare at her as they stepped off the porch. Karen laughed again, heading for the entrance gate.

"Come over here with me for a sec," Makoto told her, waving her in his direction. Shrugging, Karen walked past the fields with him. They passed a small fish pond and an apple tree on the way to a small garden, which, when they reached it, Karen could help but stare at. Enclosed in a three-foot-high white fence was a plethora of colorful flowers swaying in the warm evening breeze.

"Wow..." she uttered. "This garden..."

Makoto nodded, and then gave a big yawn. "Can you help me put some together to give to Elli?"

Karen rolled her eyes at him, and then turned back to the flowers. "Of course, Mackie." When Makoto gave her a smile, she turned to him and asked: "But you're going to write her a letter too, right?"

"Sure thing."

**xXxX**

"It's pretty busy," Elli told Karen and Makoto tiredly after they made it to the clinic. Then she looked over at the bouquet of flowers arranged in the vase on her desk with a fond sigh. "Thanks for coming though, guys." Makoto smiled and reached out for her hand, but before he could, Cliff cried out from the infirmary.

"Oh, shit!" Karen and Makoto exchanged sick looks at that, just as something splattered all over the floor behind the curtains. A few moans rose up from the other side.

"Cliff! Eww! It's everywhere!" Manna exclaimed.

Elli rolled her eyes at Makoto and Karen. "Ooh, I love it when that happens," she said dryly. Resigned, she headed out from behind her desk. "I gotta go, guys. But thanks for dropping in." Then she turned to Makoto, and said: "I love the flowers, Makoto." Makoto smiled sleepily, and then gave a yawn before he could say anything. Furrowing her brow at him, but still half-smiling, Elli added: "You know, you really should take it easy now. You've had a long day."

"I know." But before Makoto said anything else, Manna cried out again. Elli quickly excused herself and made her way for the partitions. After she left, Karen and Makoto stood behind and decided to head to the bar for a drink.

"I'm gonna go meet Rick, anyway," Karen told Makoto as they headed out the door. "He should be coming around soon."

Suddenly, Makoto found he felt sore and tired. "I guess I'll let you guys go about your business, then," he replied, giving a stretch. He yawned loudly, finding suddenly that he wanted nothing more than to have his head hit the pillow. "Elli's right. I should take it easy."

Karen clicked her tongue. "Fine," she said, mockingly petulant. "Crap out on me, Mackie." When he rolled his eyes at her, she added: "Well, you should be a good little boy and listen to Elli, then."

**xXxX**

Meanwhile, Doug and Ann were in the kitchen at the Inn. All the while, Ann griped about the lack of customers. "I can't believe no one wanted to eat here tonight!" she exclaimed, folding her arms over her chest and leaning up against the sink. Even Mayor Thomas had decided that evening that he would rather brave his own cooking than to brave the food at the Inn. "One frickin' food poisoning incident, and we're out of business!"

Doug, sitting in a chair in the corner, thumbed through a gun magazine. Without looking up, he said: "We're not out of business. People will just forget about it next time Makoto does something stupid, or when Kai comes." He flipped the page, perusing the next article. "Just give it time. Once Kai gets here, everyone's gonna be so hung up with that to even care what happened here."

"I guess you're right," Ann replied.

Flipping the page again, Doug added: "Next time, listen to me when I try to help you with cooking, huh?"

"I know, Dad." Ann turned around and rolled her eyes. With that, Doug set aside the magazine on the counter next to him and stood up.

"Let's head out and get the bar ready," he said, passing her. "And don't roll your eyes at me." As he headed out the door, Ann watched him from the sink, sighing for a bit before heading out as well.

**xXxX**

The next day at work, Elli found something about the Doctor from the moment he tiredly greeted her that bugged her, even though he didn't do anything except watch her for a few seconds before ducking into his office. But it seemed the amount of time he watched her turned to minutes, and that every time he looked at her, he was on the verge of blurting something. It got to the point that Elli kept making spelling mistakes on forms. She went through an extra sheet or two before finally filling one out correctly. With a sigh, she looked over at the flowers Makoto had given her, beautiful purple tulips and yellow roses. Then she noticed something tucked between a few of the stems, and pulled out a folded letter.

_Thanks for the letter and lunch yesterday, Elli. I know things are tough for you now at the clinic, but you're really smart and really hard-working, so I know you'll get through all of it. I love you. _

_-Makoto_

She read over the letter again and again. Finally, she neatly folded it and tucked it in the pocket of her sweater, sure to pull it out every so often while working just to read over the words '_I love you._'. But after she had slipped the paper back in her pocket again, she saw the Doctor standing between the partitions, watching her. "Hey," he said. "I need to step out for a bit. Can I trust you to be in charge for a bit?"

Elli nodded. "Sure thing," she said, trying not to look at him. The Doctor gave her a faint smile, and then made his way towards the door.

"You can take lunch over to Makoto again after I get back, alright?" he said, turning around to get a look at her again.

"Thanks, Doctor," Elli replied.

Tending to the patients went smoothly, although Elli could've sworn she heard Manna saying something furtively to Duke about how Elli had much better bedside manners than the Doctor did. "C'mon now, Manna," Duke mumbled in response. Elli sighed, unsure of what to say. Then after the Doctor had returned, she headed out once he told her she could go bring Makoto some lunch.

She made it to Strawberry Fields quickly. From the entrance gate, she held her picnic basket and watched as Makoto lugged a large basket loaded with turnips across the fields, smiling to herself all the while. But when Makoto took notice of her, she spoke up. "I thought you should take a break today," she called out, approaching him. Makoto quietly responded as he opened up his shipping box.

"I don't have time for a break," he mumbled, thought a bit grumpily. "There's too much work to do," Though he was at first too busy dumping inside turnips to watch her as she came closer, Elli cut him a cock-eyed stare. Once he took notice, he let out a sigh and mumbled: "Sorry I'm so cranky, Elli."

She stopped. "Makoto..." she said, clicking her tongue. "You should at least rest for a while." Once he finished dumping out his crops, he tossed aside the huge basket and shut the shipping box with his foot. Then he yawned loudly. When he looked over at Elli, she held up the picnic basket and said: "I brought lunch."

"I'm sorry," Makoto replied, looking apologetic. "But I still have work to do." Upon looking Makoto up and down again, Elli noticed the dark circles under his eyes, and that he looked disheveled.

"Look at you," she sighed. "Did you even sleep last night?"

"I did," he replied, sighing. He sank onto his knees and collapsed, sitting up, onto the ground. Feeling his throat tighten up, he spoke."It's just that I have so much work to do that I'm just crazy right now," he admitted, looking up at her. She sat down with him.

"But you never had this much work last spring." Makoto nodded, half-dazed.

Half-dazed, Makoto yawned and said: "Well, I planted a lot more this time." He thought about that. "Also, I think we were fighting last spring, so you more than likely didn't know how much work I was doing." Elli cracked a slight smile at his joke.

"Oh yeah," she said. "What were we fighting about?"

"My being an ass," Makoto answered darkly.

"I see." She looked out to the stretch of fields, almost in disbelief when she saw how much Makoto had planted. "You sure did plant a lot, though..." she noted. She turned back to him. "But I imagine you're almost done with your harvest, right?"

Makoto nodded. "Y-yeah," he stammered, staring out at his fields blankly. The corner of his mouth twitched, and uneasily, he added: "Just another day or so to go. After today, I mean." With that, Elli gently rubbed his arm, getting him to smile tiredly.

"So call it a day," she told him. "Please?" Makoto arched an eyebrow at her as if she was crazy. She gave him a slightly flustered smile. "I mean, you're working so hard, and you're doing a great job."

"But I can't call it a day, Elli," Makoto sighed, shaking his head.

Elli looked upset. "Makoto..." she warned.

"Summer's coming," he told her pointedly. "I need to finish the harvest before then." For a few seconds, he mulled over his thoughts. "And if the townsfolk want me to get this farm anything like the way the old man had it, they're either gonna need three of me, or I'm gonna have to bust myself doing this."

"First of all, I think one of you is more than enough," Elli said jokingly. Makoto gave a sarcastic laugh, unable to help but smirk at her joke. "But anyway, it's unfair to compare you to Joe," she continued. "He had hired hands around here. If the townsfolk are going to compare you to him, then that's just not right."

"He only had hands for his coop," Makoto corrected, taking her hand and entwining his fingers in hers.

"Oops." She paused, slightly embarrassed. "Anyway, then... I have no idea how he got that much work done. But think of it this way." Makoto nodded. "Nobody could possibly work as much as you want to push yourself. Maybe the whole Joe thing is a bit exaggerated, too."

"I'm being held up to his standards, though," Makoto told her. "And I know it's not fair, but I gotta do this. I can't take a break now." Then he tried getting up and walking. Elli stood up, watching as he headed for the shipping box again. But before he made it, he tripped and knocked the wind out of himself. Keeping herself cool, but still scared, Elli hastily headed for him and got down on her knees. "I'm alright," he wheezed. "I can still do more work."

Elli didn't initially respond, and instead asked exasperatedly: "So, what were you saying?" Makoto groaned as he shifted to look up at her.

"Fine. I'll take a break," he replied, finding it very hard to look or sound dignified when he was on his back in the dirt. He winced as a pain stabbed him from under his ribs, but a few deep breaths alleviated the sensation. When Elli shook her head and let out a sigh, he guiltily added: "I'm sorry, Elli." He let out a sigh of his own, and met her eyes. "It's just that I want to do everything I can to make this farm great."

"I know, Makoto," Elli told him. "But you realize that you need to take care of yourself too, right?"

Makoto nodded. "Of course."

Furrowing her brow, Elli pointed a finger at him and said: "Now, I don't care if I have to come here and make you take breaks." When Makoto smirked at her, she added: "But you're going to start taking them." Playfully, Makoto pretended to muse over that. Then he shrugged and replied in a deadpan voice.

"I wouldn't mind taking breaks if you made me do it."

Giving a laugh, Elli broke with a wry smile. "Well, then, that makes my job easy," she replied, watching as Makoto took her hand in his. He shared her smile.

"I don't have much left to do anyway, today," he said. "I just wanna finish up the turnips." Looking at Elli again, he winced a bit and asked: "How about that lunch?"

But Elli ruefully replied: "Well... I don't really have the time to stay. I need to get back to work." She sighed. "I mean, I _would_ stay if things weren't so crazy at the clinic."

"Oh." Makoto clambered to his feet, giving her a hand up. "That's right. I forgot." He turned to her, entwining his fingers in hers as they headed for his house. "I was looking forward to spending a little time with you." Along the way, he bent down and picked up the picnic basket with his free hand, setting down when they reached the porch. Then he took her other hand as well.

"We'll spend time together, Makoto," Elli assured him. With that, Makoto slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, getting her to break out in a smile that he shared. Standing out in the warm noontime sun that was just a bit hot, they shared a few long kisses. It was good for a moment to get away from the thoughts of all the work they both had to do.

**xXxX**

After Elli left Strawberry Fields, she couldn't help but think about Makoto during her walk back to work. Some of those thoughts were worries; two days working almost non-stop seemed to be taking their toll on him. Elli wasn't sure if he could keep pushing himself.

Finally, she entered the clinic, sure to get back to work quickly. She went about her tasks without much thought, stealing the occasional glance at the stack of medical books beside her. Finally, once she finished her work, she got to studying, writing as she went along.

"Elli..."

Upon hearing the voice, Elli stirred and looked over. Near the partitions stood the Doctor. "Hey," he said, holding up a file. "You can put this away now."

"Sure," Elli replied, reaching out for the file as the Doctor approached. He slid the file onto her desk, but for a moment, their hands touched. Elli felt her breath stop for a second before she slowly slid back her hand. "Well... yeah," she mumbled awkwardly, sure not to make eye contact with him. With that, she picked up the file and turned around, sure to stay with her back turned to him until he left a moment or so later.

For a while, Elli tended to the patients as they all vomited and Manna griped. Still, she found that during short bouts of downtime, her mind would wander. Then, in her distraction, she dropped a bottle of medicine. Thankfully, the Doctor slid onto his knees and caught it before it hit the floor. He stood up and did his best to scold her before he would allow himself to be distracted by her. "Be more careful next time, okay, Elli?"

"Sure thing," Elli replied uneasily, taking the bottle from him. But then, someone called out from the lobby. It was Karen.

"Alright," the Doctor said, holding out his hand to take back the medicine. Elli handed it back over. "I'll give them this, and you help out who's out there."

Elli nodded, and headed out to the lobby, still lost in thought. But once Karen greeted her, she managed to smile and say: "Hey, Karen." as if nothing had been bothering her.

"Hey, Elli," she said. "What's up?"

"Busy," Elli replied with a tired smile.

Keeping her voice low, Karen asked: "Oh, everyone's still sick?" Elli nodded. "Your job is disgusting, Elli," Karen added, rolling her eyes.

"I know," Elli said proudly.

They broke out in laughter, and once they both calmed down, Karen pointed at the shelf behind Elli's desk and said: "I came to pick up Lillia's medicine for Rick. He's busy today, so I told him I'd get it."

"Sure thing." Elli headed for her desk, followed by Karen, and got the medicine from the shelf. After bagging it, she turned around and handed it over. "Here you go."

"Thanks." She took the medicine, and then looked up at Elli. "How's it going?" With a laugh, she added: "Aside from being barfed on, of course."

"How'd you know?" Elli interrupted jokingly. Karen paused and stared blankly, finally shaking her head haplessly. "No, I was kidding. I'm good," she continued. Speaking quickly, she added: "I took some lunch over to Makoto earlier since all he's doing is working without taking any breaks, so I'm glad I got to see him finally, so..." But before she could continue, Karen waved her hands and stopped her. "What?" she asked.

"You seem like there's something wrong, Elli," Karen promptly answered. Elli shook her head.

"I'm okay," she replied coolly. But Karen gave her a questioning stare, she held up her hands and said insistently: "Really, I am."

"But you were getting all tongue-tied and rambly," Karen pointed out. As she thought about it, her face fell into a frown. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, holding up her hands. "You--"

"No!" Elli exclaimed suddenly, getting Karen to step back and cock her eyebrows. "Whatever you're thinking," Elli continued in a hushed, anxious voice, "it's not true." Karen didn't initially reply, and instead kept staring at her curiously until Elli's embarrassment took over. "I mean..."

"Wow. _Someone's _paranoid," Karen pointed out. Her bluntness got Elli to sigh and run her hands through her hair in an attempt to calm herself down. "Wait a minute!" Karen suddenly continued. Then she looked over her shoulder at the partitions to make sure no one was around, quietly continuing. "When you told me a few days ago you thought something was wrong..." Furrowing her brow, she asked: "...You really meant it, didn't you?"

Elli looked away. "Well... maybe..." She shrugged, and turned back to Karen. "But I've spoken to you and Gram, and the both of you just think I'm worrying too much, which I probably am, but... I don't get it." She sighed, and in a hushed voice added: "I love Makoto, and he's really great, and I'm so happy that we've been really opening up to each other, but I still think there's something that's just not right."

"But what could it be?" Karen asked, shaking her head. When Elli let out another sigh, Karen added: "Elli, _please _tell me. You're getting me worried."

For a moment, Elli couldn't reply. "I don't know what the deal is," she finally said. "Makoto's been really happy." She mulled over it. "And it's not that I'm upset with him, because I really enjoy it when we're together." Once again, she paused, staring at the top of her desk. "It's just that... It's just that sometimes, I start thinking about how..."

But when she trailed off, Karen, in a hushed voice, asked: "About what?" Shaking her head again, Elli let out a sigh and pointed in the direction of the Doctor's office. Almost incredulously, Karen looked over at his office and then turned back to face Elli, who still couldn't bear to look up.

"He kissed me," Elli whispered. Karen furrowed her brow, sputtering.

"W-what?" she asked, barely low enough for the Doctor to overhear. Finally, Elli looked up.

"No, no," she explained, keeping quiet. "He kissed me on the cheek. But still..." She paused. "It bothered me when he did it. That's the first time he's ever done anything like this."

Glaring over in the direction of the Doctor's office, Karen muttered: "Jeez. I wouldn't think he'd do something like that. You'd think he wasn't the type to show affection or anything." But after Elli cut her a slightly dirty look, she added: "Well, lots of people thought the same of Mackie when you guys first started going out." Once she said that, Elli's dirty look gave way to a fond smile.

"He was too shy to even kiss me if other people were around for the first couple of weeks," she noted. But then, her smile faded. "But... yeah," she continued idly, leaning forth and cupping her face in her palms. "When the Doctor did that, I found myself remembering all over again how huge a crush I had on him. Now... now I can't help but wonder why he waited so long." She became quiet for a moment. "Last year, I would've given anything to have the Doctor feel the same way about me as I did about him. Why did he start making these moves _after_ Makoto and I got involved?"

Karen didn't answer her, and instead said: "Riddle me this, Elli."

"Okay."

Taking in a breath, Karen asked: "What made you want to be with Makoto in the first place?"

"Besides the fact that I realized I liked him a whole lot?" Elli replied. Karen nodded, unable to help a slight smirk. "Because," Elli continued, "I realized the Doctor didn't seem like he was going to return my feelings, and since I realized that I liked Makoto and I knew he liked me--" Karen's grin grew wider at that remark, something Elli noticed. She smiled. "I just thought that I needed to move on." With that, she looked to Karen for her input.

After musing on it for a bit, Karen spoke up. "Well, you know what?" she started, only to be told to lower her voice a bit by Elli. She did so. "The Doctor," she whispered slowly, "was _stupid_ for not acting out on his feelings." She rolled her eyes. "And _now_ all of a sudden he's into you."

"But it's upsetting," Elli admitted sadly, idly tracing a circle on the desk with her finger.

"Elli, it's just his tough luck," Karen told her firmly, meeting her eye. "He lost his chance with you." When she noticed Elli seemed a bit glum, she added: "If he was _so_ into you, he should've said something to you sooner."

Giving a sigh, Elli looked at her feet. "I just feel bad for him, I guess," she said. Then she turned to Karen. "But... you're right." Karen smiled in response, almost as if she was a little relieved to hear Elli say that. Bemused, she shook her head and said:

"Oh, Elli..." They carried on for a moment, talking instead about Opening Day at the beach while Elli got the medicine for Karen.

Even in all their attempts to remain quiet, the Doctor listened from behind the partitions, biting his lip all the while. Once he realized he had been standing there for a minute or so too long, he turned and headed for the infirmary, only to be watched by the patients as he entered.

**xXxX**

The next morning, Makoto checked his mail as usual, only to furrow his brow at the sight of the utility bill. With Ein at his feet, he looked down and spoke to him. "Huh... it seems like only a week since the last one."

Ein sniffed at his sneakers.

"Yup." It only seemed there was a bill sitting there, but when Makoto didn't see the plastic window on the envelope, he realized he actually received a letter. He paused, staring blankly at it. It had to be his father. Finally, he snatched up the letter with a slightly shaky hand and threw shut the mailbox door.

Ein whimpered as Makoto threw himself into his seat at the kitchen counter and tore open his letter. After taking a deep breath, he finally began reading.

_Dear Makoto,_

_I'm sorry I took so long to write back. You understand how busy my job gets. Well, I'm glad you're seeing that girl. _

_Anyway,_

His father hadn't mentioned Elli's name, or much less said anything nice about her after Makoto had written more about her in his letter than he did about anything or anyone else. With a growl, Makoto gave the paper a jerk and tore it down the middle. Then he realized what he had done. Sighing, he lined up the pieces on the counter and continued reading.

_Anyway, I've been putting in extra hours, so maybe I can send you some money. I am also trying to earn some vacation time. I've been told I'm up for leave soon, perhaps summer or fall. If I get to go in the fall, I want to come for your birthday. You don't know how much I would like to see you, Makoto. I really am sorry that we had such a big fight. If you want to keep living in Mineral Town until next year, you can do that. Please call me when you can, though. Or send me a picture of you. _

_See you soon._

_-Dad_

Makoto read over the last paragraph. He really could have done with calling his father once in a while, but he had been so angry with him that he didn't want to. Granted, he called for Christmas, but that was all. It wasn't right. After finishing the letter, he read it several times over. Knowing his father wasn't an emotional man, it was upsetting to see him pour out so much feeling.

Without another thought, Makoto ran out of the house and in the direction of the Inn. Doug stood behind the counter, watching Makoto run in with his eyebrows arched. "What's up, Mackie?" he asked as Makoto headed for the phone at the end of the counter.

"I need to call my dad," he replied, reaching for the receiver. "I haven't talked with him in a while, so I wanna check in and all."

Doug nodded. "I know this is none of my business, but you should probably call him more often."

Guiltily, Makoto replied: "I know." Nodding again, Doug mumbled something about leaving Makoto to his business and headed off to the kitchen. Wiping his sweaty palms off on his jeans, Makoto snatched up the receiver and dialed his father's cellphone number. With every ring, his heart thumped harder.

"_Hello?_"

"Dad!" Makoto fell silent, listening as his father spoke to him. "You're at work? No, I just got your letter, and..." He paused as his father kept speaking. "I know you're at work. I just wanted to check up on you." He leaned up against the wall, restlessly tapping his foot.

"_But you really can't call me right now. You should've tried calling me after ten._"

"I can't call you after ten, Dad," Makoto replied pointedly. "The Inn's closed then. This is only place in town with a phone I can use." He listened as his father continued. "Yeah, yeah, I know I shouldn't be bugging you at work, but I read your letter and I thought something was wrong with you." For a moment, his father stopped speaking and sighed.

"_No, Makoto, I'm fine. Listen, I need to go now. Call me back on Sunday. In the afternoon._"

Makoto gave a defeated sigh. "Okay," he mumbled. "Bye, Dad."

"_Bye, Makoto._" Tonelessly, he added: "_Keep up the good work._"

"Yeah, you too," Makoto muttered, promptly hanging up. But guilt came over him after that. Shaking his head, he ambled along the counter and took a seat on one of the stools. Cliff, dressed in a robe and pajamas came down the stairs and leaned up on the counter, watching Makoto curiously. "I just got off the phone with my Dad," Makoto explained without looking over at him. Before Cliff could reply, Makoto turned and asked: "I thought you were at the clinic."

"Gray and I got a bit better, so the Doctor and Elli sent us back here so we could rest," Cliff explained. He looked a bit pale, however. With that, he nodded his head at the kitchen door and said: "C'mon, man. I was just gonna go steal some soda from Doug."

"Nah, that's cool," Makoto replied, standing up. He yawned, stretching his long arms. "I need to get back to work."

"Don't kill yourself, Mackie," Cliff told him, punching his arm. Makoto rolled his eyes and gave him a shove in return, getting Cliff to snicker. Launching into an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, he added: "It's hard work for a skinny girly man like you."

"Screw you, jerk," Makoto replied, smirking and punching Cliff. The two got into a scuffle, laughing all the while. Once they calmed down, Makoto waved his hand and said: "Yeah, well, I'll see you around, Cliff."

Cliff gave him a parting nod. "See ya, man." Makoto turned and left as the phone rang. From behind him, Cliff called Doug out from the kitchen. "Hey, Doug! Telephone!"

"Hello, Mineral Town Inn," Doug answered a moment or so later. "Oh, hey, Kai."

Once Makoto made it outside, however, he couldn't help but think about his father. He felt a bit guilty for interrupting him at work, until he remembered that there wouldn't be time to call his father if he didn't call him during the day.

All his father did each day was go to work from the crack of dawn until nighttime, and sometimes later. Then, when Makoto was younger, his father would come home past nine o'clock to see his son to bed. While he designated his Sundays to spending time with Makoto, he would spend most of the time asking about his school work and talking about his own job. But, Makoto thought, better that his father at least made an effort to be there. With a sigh, Makoto folded up the letter and stuck it into his jeans pocket.

Somehow, he brought himself to drag around heavy baskets loaded with crops, despite feeling groggy. Soon, his grogginess became outright pain, and even though he slowed down considerably, he kept working no matter how much his body told him to stop. If he didn't work hard enough to restore Strawberry Fields, if he didn't work as hard as Old Man Joe did, then it seemed he would have been most likely voted out of town.

As the afternoon dragged on, the sweltering sun became much more unbearable, and Makoto soon drained each bottle of water he had brought out with him. He felt nauseated as he picked more and more crops and surveyed the fields, only to see far too many crops surrounding him.

Finally, he wiped grimy sweat from his brow and checked his watch, but he couldn't focus on the time. Darkness suddenly flashed before him as he looked up at the sun briefly, and before he knew it, he hit the ground.

**xXxX**

**Oh, crap! Makoto might be working a little _too_ much, huh? Part II of this chapter should _hopefully_ come soon. Now, onto those shout-outs!**

**EvanescentShadow- **Excellent look at Elli there. It could cause her problems in the future if she doesn't sort things out now. Thanks a bunch, as usual!** Rhianwen- **Thanks a lot! Hehe... I love the string orchestra idea. I can see it too, acutally.** JustWrite- **Thanks a bunch... I'm glad you enjoyed the characterization in the last chapter. **Kurai Hitokiri- **New reader! Awesome. Thank you for your kind review. I'll be sure to check out your writing as well.** Ferocious Death-Kappa- **Reader from way back... that episode of Family Guy is awesome, too. I'm glad you think the writing's improved from In My Life to this... so I hope can continue to get better. Thanks a bunch! **Chii Of Spades- **Thanks thanks! Sorry this chapter took forever to finish, though. And,** kelley28- **Heh, Rick might have a chance later on to prove himself... and hopefully Elli and Makoto don't get into any more arguments. Thanks a bunch!

**Until next time.**


	14. Handle With Care

**Strawberry Fields- **Reading it sure beats getting punched in the face.

**School, writer's block, work, music, writer's block, alien abduction, writer's block... you know the story. I'm updating right now in the middle of "Study For Finals" week. Sadly, though, this chapter has been mostly done for a while, but I had a few things I didn't quite like about it that I wanted to work out. Refer to the above excuse. Anyway, I've got a "little bit longer than usual" chapter to make up for the lack of writing lately, so onto it!**

xXxXxX

With the taste of dirt lingering in his mouth, Makoto groaned and managed to roll onto his side. After finding the strength to get up, he unsteadily pulled himself to his feet and brushed as much dirt as he could off his T-shirt. The heat once again got to him; it felt as if the sun loomed over him once he broke out into a sweat.

He surveyed his surroundings, limping and ambling past the fields in the direction of his house. But when he couldn't find it, he stopped. Normally, he would be able to see his house from any spot on his farm, but Strawberry Fields seemed to turn to an endless expanse. Shaking his head, he whistled for Ein.

When Ein didn't show up, Makoto kept making his way through the fields. The vegetation seemed far too dense, leaving Makoto fighting his way through. Finally, he came to a clearing and slumped down in exhaustion.

"_Don't ever let me down..._"

"I'm just resting..." Makoto mumbled. By then, his shirt stuck to his back. He pulled it up over his head and threw it aside, but still felt overheated and exhausted. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he glanced over at a partially withered strawberry crop. For a moment, he started at the juicy-looking, ripened fruit.

His mouth watered and his stomach ached, so without a thought, he picked the fruit. But when he popped it in his mouth, he realized it had rotted. Groaning, he spat it back out and dropped it on the ground.

Feeling sick at the sight of the black ooze running from the strawberry, Makoto jumped to his feet and looked around. The crops began turning to dust...

"_You can't go to Mineral Town, Makoto..._"

Makoto searched for the source of the voice, but he saw no one around. Sighing, he turned his gaze skyward and caught sight of the brutal sun, beating down on him and burning out before his eyes. His stomach lurched, his breathing sped up, and he broke out in sweat as the sky and everything else faded out of sight.

"Makoto!" came a young man's voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Rick, grab him by the legs! He needs to get to the clinic!"

He felt himself on his back, squinting to make out the figures standing over him before everything went black again.

A while later, someone else spoke up. "You'll be okay, Makoto..."

He felt himself on his back again, though in a bed. Finally, he settled into the pillows, and barely able to mumble a response, felt his eyelids grow heavy.

xXxXxX

The longer he stared into the nothingness around him, the more aware of his surroundings he became. As more colors came back to his vision, he realized he was in the infirmary at the clinic. Relieved, he calmed himself down.

"He's awake... Finally..."

Makoto closed his eyes, feeling tired again. Then came a soothing voice, and he mumbled to himself. "Elli..."

"Hey..."

Still groggy, he smiled to himself as Elli idly stroked his hair. "Hellooooo, nurse..." he said quietly and hoarsely. Elli shared the smile as she brushed aside his bangs with a relieved sigh.

After a moment, she took his hand in hers and spoke up. "You know..." she started, fixing a stern look on him, "you should've been taking better care of yourself."

"I'm sorry, Elli..." Makoto mumbled, looking at her her. "I know you want to dish me one, so go ahead."

Elli leaned forth and kissed him on the cheek. "Not now," she said, managing a slight smile despite her worried expression. "You still need to get some rest, okay?"

No matter how tired Makoto felt, however, he found he didn't want to sleep and revisit the dying fields in his dreams. Still, he half-heartedly nodded and sank back into the pillow. For a moment, Elli watched him, until he turned on his side and shut his eyes. Then she left.

Upon entering the lobby, she saw that Duke and Manna were dressed and ready to go back home. They exchanged dark looks and seemed engrossed in a hushed conversation, mentioning something about 'the way he looked at her'. Elli stopped and waited for them, arching her eyebrows in confusion. But once Duke and Manna noticed her, they instantly fell silent.

"Sorry to keep you guys so long," Elli told them with a half-smile, doing her best to sound nonchalant. She headed around to the back of her desk as Duke shrugged and mumbled something along the lines of 'It's alright'.

Manna, on the other hand, looked as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't. "Is Makoto going to be okay?" Duke finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, is he?" Manna chimed in.

Elli sighed. "He'll be fine after a day," she told them. "The Doctor said so, too."

"We wouldn't wanna see him hurt or anything," Duke added, casting a look over at the partitions. "He looked pretty bad when Gotz brought him in here."

Hiding her worries, Elli added: "He's just a bit dehydrated. But he'll be alright." She smiled again. "Now, you guys just go home and rest up." With that, Duke pulled his wallet from his pants pocket, opening it up and giving Elli some money. After Elli handed back his change, he nodded and turned for the door.

"See you later, Elli."

"Bye, guys!"

Duke headed for the door, but when he noticed Manna wasn't going with him, he turned around and furrowed his brow. "Are you coming, honey?"

"Yes, dear, in a minute," Manna hastily replied, indicating for him to hush. "I just want to speak with Elli." When Duke gave her a baffled look, she said: "It'll just be for a bit."

"But Manna, she probably has to get back to..." But when Manna ignored him, he muttered something about waiting outside and made his way out the door.

"Oh, that husband of mine," Manna said airily once the door shut behind him. Elli gave another sheepish smile. "Um, sweetie," Manna continued in a hushed voice, getting Elli to stop smiling. "I'm worried about something. Something to do with you."

"What is it?" Elli asked politely. Motioning to the chairs in the waiting room, Manna went and sat down, letting out a sigh. After Elli sat in the seat next to her, Manna turned and spoke quietly.

"Listen, sweetie." She put her hand on Elli's, looking her in the eyes. "I've been noticing every time I'm here that the Doctor seems to be..." She fished for the words. "._..hitting on you..._"

"Manna..."

"--and I've noticed it even more while staying here." Elli tried drawing back her hand. "Even my husband, who's about as oblivious about these things as you can get, says it." But when Elli tried speaking, Manna continued. "He's _at least_ ten years older than you, and he's doing this. Don't you feel uncomfortable?"

Without trying to be impolite, Elli drew back her hand. She kept eye contact with Manna. "Listen, Manna," she started. "I really do appreciate your concern." She paused. "But I _don't _feel uncomfortable working with the Doctor." When she saw Manna seemed upset with her response, she added: "And he knows I have a boyfriend, so he wouldn't be hitting on me." Even though she fibbed about the Doctor not flirting with her at all, she knew she had to around Manna, or she would tell everyone in town.

Manna mulled over it for a moment. "But, Elli--"

Elli took a quick peek at the clock on the wall. "Listen, Manna," she said, turning back to her. "I'm sorry. I should really get back to work, and check up on Makoto."

But Manna looked as if she had more to say. Before she could say anything, however, Elli stood up. Looking apologetic, she added: "I really don't mean to shoo you out of here or anything..."

"Oh, that's okay, sweetie," Manna said airily, getting up. As she headed for the door, she added: "I have to get dinner ready for Duke, anyway. You can imagine how grumpy he gets if dinner is just ten minutes late."

Standing up as well, Elli faked another look at the clock. "Yeah, it is getting late," she agreed. "I need to get home soon, too."

Manna stopped at the door. "Well," she said, holding her hands together, "I hope Makoto feels better soon. See you later!"

"Bye, Manna!" Elli called back, waving. Once Manna left, Elli gave a sigh of relief. As she headed for her desk, she could have sworn she heard footsteps from the other side of the partitions. Stopping short, she headed for the curtains and took a look around, only to see Makoto sleeping, his hair sticking up all over the place. The Doctor, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.

Giving a sigh, Elli leaned up against the wall for a while, until finally she remembered to check up on Makoto again. She headed into the infirmary, pulling up a seat and sitting next to his bed. For a moment, she watched him. Then he rolled over to face her and mumbled: "You're back..."

"Yeah..."

He furrowed his brow. "Are you okay?"

Elli clicked her tongue, giving a slight eye-roll. "You shouldn't be asking me that when you're the one in bed," she told him. After stretching in his place, he sat up.

"You just sound worried about something," he told her, idly reaching out for her hand. For a moment, Elli didn't see him reach out until she looked down. She smiled at him and took his hand, but zoned out again. Makoto sighed. "Elli..." he said impatiently, getting her to give a start and pay attention to him. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Elli fibbed. She did her best to assure him. "I'm just worried about you. You know that." But he didn't respond, and instead gave her a probing stare. Elli gave a sigh of her own and added: "Really, Makoto, that's all."

"If you say so..." Makoto said flatly.

Elli stroked his hair for a moment with her free hand, and then said: "You're still warm. Let me get you a towel." Letting go of his hand, she headed off to the cabinet and pulled out a small towel. After soaking it for a bit and getting a glass of water, she headed back up to Makoto and rubbed the towel on his forehead and his neck.

"Thanks..." he said, smiling. "That feels good..." Elli kept the towel wrapped around his neck while she gave him the water to drink. "I should get better really quickly with you taking care of me, Elli," he said once he drained the cup and placed it on the adjacent table.

"That's really sweet of you to say that," Elli replied, unable to help a smile. But after a moment or so, Makoto's smile faded. Concerned, Elli watched him, brushing her fingertips over the side of his face. "What's the matter?"

Makoto shook his head. "I don't understand," he started. "I did what you told me and drank a lot of water. I was sleeping fine, and I was doing everything else you told me." He sighed. "I thought I could handle all this work, you know. Why did I pass out?"

For a moment, Elli didn't reply. "It might have been just a little too much work," she finally admitted. Upset, Makoto let out another sigh. "And it was pretty humid this afternoon." She gave a shrug. "...You just became dehydrated." When she saw Makoto still seemed upset, she added: "It can still happen."

"I guess," Makoto replied. "I just wanted to be able to finish all of it, you know, so I just couldn't stop working." Then, he spoke quietly, so much so that Elli had to lean in to hear him. "When I started looking around, and..." He paused. "I saw everything that I had to do, and..."

With that, Elli took his hand and quietly asked. "Do you feel overwhelmed?" He nodded glumly.

"It's like the work doesn't end," he said miserably. He let her go and ran his hands through his hair. "I have no idea how the Old Man handled it all. I mean, he could do all that work I was doing, and then some." Sighing again, he slumped against the headboard. But it was Elli's disheartened sigh that got to him. "It's fine," he continued. "I'm doing okay, I guess."

Elli nodded. "Really, Makoto," she said. "Just because Joe did all that work doesn't mean you have to. You just have to do the best you can do."

Makoto didn't say anything right away, and instead pondered Elli's words. "You're right..." he replied. "As usual..." When Elli smiled in reply, he shared it.

"I wouldn't want your work to get in the way of other things..."

"If it happens sometimes, though..."

"Well," Elli said. "That's understandable."

"But..." Makoto continued, drawing closer to her. "We haven't had too much time together over the past few days." Leaning forth, Elli kissed him. Makoto kept kissing her back, slipped his arm around her waist and gently pulling her closer.

Then someone deliberately cleared his throat. Elli stumbled and nearly fell back, only for Makoto to catch her by the hands and pull her back on balance. They both looked over to see the Doctor at the entrance to the infirmary, sighing at them in exasperation. For a second or two, he turned to Elli, and then shook his head and spoke up.

"Makoto, I wanted to see how you were doing,"

Something about the way the Doctor had looked at Elli, however, didn't sit with Makoto. He cut him a slight glare, and muttered: "I'm alright." The Doctor nodded.

After that, no one said anything for a few moments. The Doctor jotted something down on his clipboard, while Makoto and Elli found themselves too embarrassed to look at each other. Then the Doctor nodded again and asked: "Elli, could you call up the patient we have coming in on Tuesday? Her number's on your desk."

Elli bit her lip and nodded, her ears still red. Wordlessly, she left the room, avoiding eye contact with the Doctor. With her gone, the Doctor set his clipboard on the metal night stand next to Makoto's bed and took out his stethoscope from his lab coat pocket. "Take off your shirt."

Makoto did so, and the Doctor placed the cold bell on his chest. A few moments after listening intently, he hummed and said: "Your heart rate's back to normal now." As he placed the stethoscope back in his pocket, he added: "That's good."

"Why are you upset?" Makoto asked curtly.

The Doctor furrowed his brow at him. "You can put your shirt back on," he told him, annoyed. But Makoto kept staring him down. Finally, with a huff, the Doctor spoke up again. "Fine," he said. "I'm upset because Elli should know better than to behave how she did while on the job."

For another moment, Makoto kept up his stare. But as he thought about the Doctor's response, he turned away. "Oh." With that, he put on his T-shirt, sure to avoid looking over at the Doctor.

"Since it's getting late, you can rest here tonight," the Doctor continued. "You can go home in the morning, but you have to take the day off from your farm work."

"I can't afford to take the day off, Doctor," Makoto replied. "There's a bunch of crops I'll lose if I don't harvest them. That's a big chunk of money."

"And there's a chance you'll collapse again if you harvest them, Makoto," the Doctor explained, poker-faced. "I can't condone you working now. You don't need to make yourself sicker over a few crops."

"It's more than a few crops," Makoto retorted. The Doctor sighed, vexed, and cast him an admonishing stare. "C'mon, Doctor. It's important."

Dismissing him with a wave of his hand, the Doctor said: "You should have thought of that before planting way more than you could handle." Makoto balled his fist as the Doctor picked up his clipboard and left the room.

Once the Doctor was out of an earshot, Makoto pounded the metal night stand, scowling.

Meanwhile, Elli hung up the phone on her desk and tossed down her pen, sighing. That was when the Doctor headed into the lobby. Elli couldn't tell if he was annoyed at her or disappointed, so she quickly said: "Doctor, I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, Elli," he answered impassively. "Makoto will be alright, so you can go home tonight if you want to."

Elli nodded, and stepped out from behind her desk. "Yeah," she answered. "Let me tell Makoto first." Without looking at the Doctor, she passed him and headed for the infirmary. Makoto still kept a scowl on his face, until he looked up and noticed Elli in the doorway. His expression softened.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. She shook her head.

"Nothing," she replied hastily. "I'm going to go home tonight, so I just wanted to let you know."

Makoto gave a small smile. "Yeah," he said. "Say 'hi' to Stu and your grandmother for me, okay?"

Lamely, Elli nodded and said: "Sure thing, Makoto." She waved, and quietly said: "See you later." Makoto kept an eye on her as she left, and once she did, he gave a lethargic stretch and sank back into the bed, feeling drained again.

xXxXxX

Two or three hours later, Makoto shook himself out of his stupor. No longer tired, he got up out of bed and headed over to the cabinet across the room, where he grabbed his sneakers. But as he sat back down on the bed to put them on, he overheard two men speaking in the lobby.

"Alright, Tim," Carter said. "We'll meet for lunch tomorrow."

"See you then, Carter."

Shrugging to himself, Makoto pulled on his dirty Chuck Taylors and laced them up. Then he ambled to the lobby, only for Tim to watch him disapprovingly. "You shouldn't be out of bed, Makoto."

"I'm feeling a bit better," Makoto replied.

Tim shrugged. "Fine. You can stay up." He made his way across the lobby. "I'm going to eat, so come up if you're hungry."

At that moment, Makoto's stomach gave a growl. He bit his lip. "Yeah, I'm hungry," he mumbled. "Thanks..." Tim waited at the foot of the stairs for him, heading up once Makoto followed him. When they made it upstairs, Tim flicked on the lights and led Makoto past the spacious living room and through a doorway leading to the kitchen.

"Dinner should be done by now," Tim said, motioning towards the oven. Makoto nodded, and after Tim asked him to grab himself a plate from the cabinet, he sat at the table. Once Tim sat the tray half-filled with pasta on the table, Makoto spoke up.

"Ellen cooked this..." he noted, looking at the steaming pasta. When he glanced up, Tim looked away.

"Elli brings me food sometimes," he explained as he took his seat. He looked a bit sheepish. "I can't cook, so... I guess she feels bad."

Makoto felt a twinge of jealousy, but before he blurted out anything, he thought for a moment about Elli. He sighed fondly, and said: "Elli's really good like that."

Glancing back up at Makoto, Tim replied: "You're really lucky."

Baffled and unsure of what to say, Makoto stared idly at the food. Finally, he gave a small nod, afraid to say anything else. Only when Tim told Makoto he could start serving himself dinner did he speak, simply mumbling: "Thanks." as he reached for the tray.

xXxXxX

Later that night, long after the Doctor headed to his bedroom, Makoto found himself laying awake in bed. For a while, he tried counting the dots on the ceiling, but even something as monotonous as that couldn't lull him to sleep. His thoughts kept wandering to Strawberry Fields; he was worried even though he was told that Rick and Barley would help out with his livestock.

Finally, he gave a frustrated groan and threw the covers aside, getting out of bed and sneaking, barefoot, across the cold floor of the infirmary.

A cold silence hung about the clinic, something that was absent from even his own house. With his palms sweating, he gripped the doorknob of the Doctor's office door and gave it a twist. After groping the wall and flicking on the light switch, he made his way to the Doctor's desk, found a calculator, a notepad, and a pen among the stacks of papers and books, and got to work.

"Three hundred..." he muttered to himself, jotting down numbers as he punched them into the calculator. "Cucumbers..." As he punched in numbers, he glanced up at the tallest stack of books on the desk and noticed a metal slinky resting on top. Then he turned his focus back to his work, idly knocking over the slinky with his pen and listening as it descended the stacks of books.

It took him about five minutes or so, but he finally came up with a result. With a sigh, he read over the numbers, and then ripped out the page and folded it up. But just as he was about to get up, a voice came at the door.

"Makoto, what are you doing in my office?"

Makoto jumped out of the seat and tripped over one of the legs, banging his thigh on the metal in the split second before landing on his side on the floor. Tim darted up to him, but Makoto climbed to his feet before he could help him up. "Sorry, Doctor," he replied, holding up his hands. He winced as a sharp pain shot up and down his leg, and pained, added: "I needed to borrow your calculator."

"I see," Tim replied, casting Makoto a suspicious stare. Under the bright office lights, the circles under his eyes stood out even more than usual, something Makoto noticed as he rubbed his aching thigh. A few moments passed before Tim noticed him doing so and spoke up again. "You took a pretty bad fall. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Makoto replied, nodding and slipping the sheet of paper into his pajama pants pocket. He limped out of the office without looking back at the Doctor and headed back to the infirmary. From behind, he heard the Doctor's footsteps and muttered to himself. But after a few moments, he heard the Doctor instead walk into the lobby. Wincing again, he pulled aside the covers and clambered back into bed, waiting as the Doctor made his way up the stairs.

Once he was sure Tim had left, he clicked on the lamp on the metal bedside table and pulled out the sheet of paper from his pocket. Though the numbers blurred in and out of focus, Makoto read over the entire thing over and over, shaking his head at the results. Granted, he would have been able to make a profit whether or not he managed to harvest all of his crops, but he would not have been able to make as much if the Doctor and Elli planned on keeping him at the clinic for another day.

Finally, he got up out of bed again. That time, he headed for one of the cabinets along the opposite wall, opened it up, and pulled out his jeans, T-shirt, and his sneakers. He couldn't stay at the clinic much longer.

But as soon as he stepped out on the stoop, the door swung shut with a loud click. For a moment, Makoto refused to believe he locked himself out of the clinic, until he turned around and twisted the doorknob frantically. After doing so several times, he gave the door a swift kick and turned away, heading off.

He wasn't sure where he wanted to go, or if he wanted to go anywhere. Elli would have gotten upset with him if he went back to Strawberry Fields, especially after Tim had told him to take the day off from his farm work.

The wind suddenly gusted, and before Makoto knew it, rain poured down. He stood in the road, feeling refreshed for the first moment or two as the rain soaked his hair and clothes. But then, a chill got into him, and he shivered. Strawberry Fields suddenly seemed a lot farther away than it really was; just walking there seemed as if it would take all of what little strength Makoto could muster.

There was no reason to be out there when he could have been sleeping in a warm bed. Elli was sure to get angry if she found out about him leaving the clinic, too. But the longer he stood out there, the more he felt it in his heavy limbs that he was seconds away from passing out again.

With nowhere else to go, he ambled through the darkness. He wasn't even sure where he was going; it was late and the street lights were off, and through the sheets of rain he couldn't make out anything. After wiping his bangs out of his eyes, he veered off the road and stumbled over to the bench between the clinic and the supermarket. For a while, he sat as the cold seeped through the back of his pants. He found himself too exhausted to care about it, much less to make his way back home through the torrent of rain.

Then, it sounded as if someone came tearing down the road, splashing through the puddles. Makoto looked around and squinted, only to see a dark figure approaching him from the direction of the church. Shivering, he folded his arms over his chest and stared at the ground.

"_Mackie_?"

Makoto squinted again, trying to find the source of the voice. After a moment, he stood up and asked: "Karen?"

"What are you doing out here??"

Scrambling to his feet, Makoto replied: "I locked myself out of the clinic."

Karen huddled up close to him and gave him a few shoves along the road. "Get inside!" she told him. Makoto followed her through the darkness, up the walkway to the supermarket and around the side of the house. Once they got there, the porch light lit up, and Sasha quickly opened the door.

"Karen, thank God!"

Nodding and shivering, Karen pointed to Makoto, who stepped into the light. "Makoto!" Sasha explained. "What are you doing here?"

Makoto mumbled in response. "Locked myself out of the clinic..."

Clicking her tongue, Sasha turned, motioning for them to come inside. "Wait in the foyer," she told them as she headed down the hall. After a few moments, she came back with two towels. "Here," she said, handing Makoto one towel and Karen the other. Once Makoto draped the towel over his head, Sasha pointed down the hallway and said: "You can dry off in the kitchen, Makoto."

"Thanks, Mrs. Cardone," Makoto replied quietly. He took a moment to kick off his sopping wet sneakers, and then he headed for the kitchen, followed by Karen and Sasha. He and Karen sat down at the table, but Sasha didn't. Instead, she pulled out some cleaning supplies from underneath the sink and grabbed some paper towels.

"I'm just going to clean up the foyer," she told Karen and Makoto. Turning to Karen, she added: "Karen, see if Makoto wants anything."

"I'm kinda hungry," Makoto told Karen flatly. She rolled her eyes at him. and said:

"Then make yourself a sandwich, Mackie."

Sasha sighed at Karen, and then turned to Makoto. "Help yourself to whatever you want, Makoto," she told him. "We have some leftover pork chops in the fridge."

"Thanks," Makoto replied, giving a smile.

Sasha headed out of the kitchen, and Karen got up from the table and headed for the fridge. "Do you want the leftovers, Mackie?" she asked.

"Did you or your mom cook them?" Makoto asked in reply, giving a wry smile. Huffing loudly, Karen shut the fridge door and stalked back to the table, sitting down.

"Fine. You can go hungry," she told him.

Makoto rolled his eyes, and got up from the table. "You're a crappy hostess, Karen," he said, making his way to the fridge.

xXxXxX

After Makoto ate and Sasha left for the night, Karen motioned to Makoto and led him to a door along the wall of the kitchen. She opened it up and flicked on a switch, and the two of them headed down the stairs and past a few stacks of plastic bins. One top of one stack lay an old Ouija board; Makoto stopped short and inspected it. 

"Come sit down," Karen told him from across the room. Glancing over, he saw she had made herself on one of two worn, overstuffed, brownish-yellow couches in the corner. Shrugging, Makoto headed over and flopped onto the other couch. A few moments passed, and then he asked:

"Why did we come down here?"

"I like coming down here," Karen replied, shrugging. She looked over at Makoto. "Me, Rick, Mary, Elli, Ann, and Popuri used to come down here sometimes and hang out on really hot days when we were younger."

Makoto nodded, and turned on his back. "So," he continued, "what were you doing out so late?"

Karen huffed as soon as he asked that, and rolled her eyes at him again. "I was heading home from the beach when it suddenly started pouring," she explained, pointing at her chest. "But you were the one standing around out there."

"I locked myself out of the clinic," Makoto told her, not humored. "Remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Yeah." He paused. "I just wanted to get out and take a walk or something."

Worried, Karen furrowed her brow. "Mackie..." she started, "...what's the matter?" At first, Makoto couldn't bring himself to say anything. He sat up, and once he did so, Karen got up and sat down on the sofa with him. "C'mon," she said, giving him a nudge.

For a moment, Makoto watched her, hesitant to respond. Then he sighed. "I'm worried... you know..." He trailed. "After passing out."

"Don't worry about that," Karen replied, shaking her head. "You just worked too hard." She gave a laugh. "You're like my dad sometimes... you both make yourselves sick."

Makoto frowned. "But what if that means I'm not cut out for this?"

"Come on, Mackie."

"I don't want Elli to know," Makoto continued, "but I'm afraid that I might... that I'm gonna mess up this whole farming thing somehow, and fail."

Karen didn't dismiss Makoto that time. Instead, she kept quiet and listened as he continued. "Sure, the work seemed easy and it was all going great for a while, but after today..." He paused. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he pulled out the sheet of folded paper and opened it up. "This is what I'm out if I don't harvest those crops soon." He handed the sheet of paper to Karen, who took a look at it.

"But you made a lot more money than you're losing..." she pointed out.

"I know," Makoto told her. "But what if I screw up again after this?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Karen answered: "Well, then you just brush yourself off and keep going. Makoto nodded to himself, unsure of what else to say. "Don't worry," Karen continued, her cheeks flushed as she gave a half-smile. She looked serious again."Y'know... Elli's got a lot of stuff on her mind, too."

"What d'you mean by _that_?" Makoto asked. Karen gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Karen," Makoto pressed. "You gotta tell me." He sighed. "If something's wrong with Elli, I wanna know."

"I... well..."

"She would tell me if something was wrong with her grandmother or Stu..."

Still in shock, Karen shook her head. "No, it's not that." Makoto let out another sigh and sank into the couch.

"Oh, great," he moaned, mostly to himself. "Why wouldn't she tell me if something's wrong?" He looked over at Karen again for an answer, but when she didn't say anything, he let out a quiet groan.

Finally, Karen found she couldn't take it. "Mackie, shut up and listen to me!" she started. But by then, Makoto wasn't listening.

"I don't get it..."

Karen grabbed his wrist, shooting him a glare. "Calm down!" she told him, getting him to fall silent. For the next few moments, neither of them said anything. Karen stared at Makoto, watching him nervously bite his lip. "Makoto," she started firmly, taking the tone Sasha often took while reproaching Jeff. "You have to listen to me."

With his voice quavering, Makoto stammered and quietly asked: "What's wrong with Elli?"

Karen took a good look at Makoto as he gripped the leg of his jeans. Then she let out a sigh of her own. "Just listen to me," she said, leaning forth and giving Makoto a bit of a whiff of the wine on her breath. "You know the Doctor likes Elli, and that she liked him for a while since she met him." Almost appalled, Makoto opened his mouth to speak, but Karen gripped his wrist and kept talking. "But you know she doesn't anymore, obviously, because she has you and she loves you." With that, she let go of Makoto's wrist. He idly glanced down at the nail marks Karen had left, and then looked back up at her.

"Then why is this all bothering her?" he asked her flatly. When Karen didn't answer right away, he shook his head.

"Okay..." Karen continued, still leaning towards Makoto. "Listen..."

xXxXxX

The pale sunlight streamed in from the dusty basement window, barely lighting up the room and stirring Makoto. It must have been only about six o'clock, but Makoto found he couldn't doze anymore. He tiredly got up off the couch, folded up the blanket Karen had lent him, collected his shoes, and crept up the stairs. Gaugin, the Cardones's tabby cat, greeted him at the door, purring and rubbing up against his legs.

The kitchen clock told him it was only six in the morning. Jeff and Sasha were nowhere to be found, as well as Karen. Knowing he had to get back to the clinic, he gingerly made his way out the kitchen and into the hallway, heading outside. It was a hot morning; the sun seemed to beat down on him, and simply walking down the road wore him out. All along the way, he found himself wishing more and more that he didn't get out of bed.

Thankfully, the door of the clinic was unlocked. After getting inside, he headed straight for the infirmary, kicked off his shoes, and got back into bed. About ten or twenty minutes passed before Tim stuck his head in the infirmary. "Makoto? Are you awake?"

Makoto sat up. "Yeah."

Tim nodded. "Well, you can go back home and rest up if you'd like today."

"Sounds good."

But Makoto knew he didn't want to go back to his house without talking to Elli first. After the Doctor headed into his office, Makoto waited in the infirmary. It didn't seem right to seek out Elli, so he sat on the bed, occasionally tapping his foot on the floor.

"Makoto?" Elli finally asked, getting Makoto to jump. She gave a sheepish smile at his reaction, and then approached him. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked, sitting down with him and rubbing his back comfortingly.

He smiled at her touch. "I'm glad to see you..." he said. "I got locked out of the clinic last night..."

Elli furrowed her brow. "What were you doing..." But before she could finish, Makoto took the piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. She unfolded it, taking a moment to look over the writing.

"I'm sorry, Elli," Makoto said, shaking his head. "I was really stupid, and I thought I could go back to finish the harvest, but it started pouring and I still felt really tired..." He looked over at Elli, who simply leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You're going to do fine, Makoto," she told him. Before he could say otherwise, she looked up at him and said: "Really... you're dedicating so much of yourself to Strawberry Fields already, and you've done such a great job so far."

Makoto gave a sigh, smiling faintly. "I don't want to let you down."

"You won't," Elli said, though she looked a bit guilty to him. Unable to look at her, Makoto bit his tongue. "What's the matter?" Elli asked, concerned.

Hesitantly, he spoke up. "Elli..." he said. "Could you tell me something?" Elli watched him, biting her lip slightly. Makoto sighed, feeling his stomach lurch. "Do you still like the Doctor?"

"Makoto, of course not," Elli answered.

With that, Makoto looked over at the door of the Doctor's office. He then stood up, and taking Elli's hand in his, walked with her through the infirmary and back into the lobby, where he leaned with her up against the wall, just to get some more privacy. Makoto gulped, wishing again he had stayed in bed the night before. He kept his voice low as he spoke. "You seemed so upset yesterday," he continued. "You know... when he caught us kissing." He paused. "I mean, I know he caught you while you were on the job, but... but still."

Elli let out a sigh of her own. "I know..."

"I know you liked him all last year..." Makoto said, looking into her eyes. "And he wouldn't respond to you... I know that has to be frustrating."

"But I'm with you now," Elli interjected.

"So now that he's coming around, you feel bad..."

Elli stammered. "Makoto..." But she couldn't find anything to say. In her silence, Makoto watched her sadly. Then he stole a glance at the door, though his legs felt like lead. Finally, Elli let out a long sigh, shaking her head. "It's okay, Makoto," she told him, defeated. "I understand."

"I'm sorry, Elli," Makoto murmured. But Elli shook her head again.

"No," she said, turning away. Choked up, she added: "It's not your fault."

Makoto reached for her hand, grabbing her attention. "I don't want to break up," he said resolutely. Elli looked into his eyes for a long moment, until she couldn't anymore. She let go, and turned away again.

"You should go home, Makoto," she said, letting go of his hand. "You really don't deserve this."

Knowing he had nothing left to say, Makoto turned and ambled towards the door, taking his time. Finally, one last sad look from Elli told him it was time to head out.

xXxXxX

"Elli?" 

Giving a start, Elli glanced up from her lunch, which she had barely touched. She watched as Ellen eased herself into the seat beside hers and gave a small, unconvincing smile. "What is it, Gram?" she asked.

Ellen didn't reply right away; she frowned, and Elli could see the concern in her eyes. "Elli," Ellen started, reaching out for Elli's shoulder. "You've hardly said a word since you came here." Elli lamely nodded, propping up her chin with her palms.

"It's Makoto..." she admitted.

"Oh, Elli..."

Briefly, Elli caught a glimpse at Stu, whose socks were still visible despite his best efforts to hide himself on the other side of the doorway. "I think we might break up..."

Ellen adjusted her glasses. "But what happened, dearie?"

Elli thought back to when she told her grandmother about her confusion after telling Makoto that she loved him and found she wasn't sure what to say. "I'm still confused about our relationship, Gram," she finally said.

Putting her hand on her granddaughter's shoulder, Ellen said: "I know you'll make the right decision." Elli's ears burned after she said that. She looked over at the doorway again, only to see Stu had left. Looking back up at her grandmother, she idly nodded, and then excused herself.

xXxXxX

Makoto found he couldn't follow the Doctor's advice and rest. For a while, he ambled about his fields, with Ein following and sniffing at the dirt. Even though there weren't too many crops left to harvest, Makoto found he didn't have the strength to do much work. Quite a few of those crops had ripened too much anyway; he wouldn't be able to harvest those.

Taking the piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolding it, Makoto looked over the numbers he had calculated until finally, he folded it and stuck it back into his pocket. But as he made his way to grab the basket he typically filled with crops, a wrenching pain in his stomach stopped him. Shaking his head, he instead stumbled over towards his porch and nearly fell down onto the steps. He turned to get a look at the fields, only to see that everything swirled about before him. 

After finding the strength to get up, he made his way inside and got himself a bottle of water. The tupperware full of leftovers from Elli's house caught his attention. He bit his lip, and then shut the fridge and walked towards the living room. Sinking onto the sofa, he drank his water and stared into nothingness, unaware of the time passing.

Once he found himself dozing off, he headed back outside and sat down on the porch again. He took gulps from his second bottle of water, setting aside the empty bottle once he finished. For a while after that, he watched Ein walk about aimlessly with a chew toy in his mouth. Finally, he too settled down, so Makoto scooted back and leaned up against the side of the house, resting his head.

A dark-haired man stood over him, and said: "_You can't sit out here forever._"

Makoto turned his gaze to the ground and mumbled in reply, barely able to find his voice. A frustrated sigh escaped from the dark-haired man.

"_Makoto, get up. Now._"

"Leave me alone," Makoto grumbled miserably.

The dark-haired man scowled and stamped his foot. "_Makoto! Stand up_!"

Growling, Makoto sprang up and stared down the dark-haired man, his hand balled into a fist at his side. The dark-haired man stared coldly as Makoto glared down at him, calm and still. Finally, Makoto spun around, punched the paneling of the house, and stormed away. That broke the dark-haired man's reserve.

He bolted down the porch steps, stopping about halfway down the path leading through the front yard. "_GET BACK HERE_!"

But Makoto ignored him, hastily making his way for the empty road outside the house. The dark-haired man watched him head off for a moment before finally calling out to him again.

"_FINE_!" he spat. "_RUN OFF AGAIN!_"

xXxXxX

Meanwhile, after helping Ellen clean up, Elli left her home on her way back from her lunch break. It drizzled along the way, bringing an unseasonable chill that left her wishing she'd brought a jacket with her. Sighing, she folded her arms and headed down the road.

As she passed the supermarket, the side door opened, and out came Karen. Elli noticed and stopped. "Hey, Karen!" she called out, waving. But when she saw that Karen could only stare back and look guilty, she strode up the walkway to the entrance of her house. Karen sank onto the stoop, covering her face and sniffling.

"I'm so sorry, Elli," she said, her words muffled by her hands. "I shouldn't have said anything. It was so stupid of me..."

Elli sat next to her, managing a weak smile as she too sniffled. "Hey, it's alright," she started, feeling a lump forming in her throat. "Makoto was going to find out eventually." She paused. "I mean, how much longer would I be able to hide this from him?" She huffed, still able to keep up her smile.

But Karen didn't look humored. She sputtered, and pointedly said: "As long as you could... until you got over this whole Doctor thing..."

"He would've found out..."

Karen shook her head. "Come on, Elli..."

Elli sighed. "Listen, Karen," she said. "The Doctor was my first crush." She paused. "I didn't want to give up with him... I couldn't... even when I knew that Makoto liked me."

"Wait a minute!" Karen cut in, holding up her hands. "So you picked Makoto because the Doctor wasn't coming around? Because it was convenient?"

"Karen, that makes no sense," Elli cut in, calmly, but a little irate. "I wouldn't have gotten together with Makoto if I didn't want to be with him."

"You don't really love Makoto, do you?"

Cutting Karen her sideways glare, Elli asked: "How could you say that? Of course I love him!"

Karen pressed on. "If you did love Makoto, you would've told the Doctor a _long_ time ago that you didn't appreciate his advances."

Elli gritted her teeth. "_Karen_..."

"And if you don't appreciate his advances, then _do _something about it!" Karen snapped. "Listen. If you really love Makoto, then tell the Doctor that. But if you're _still_ not over the Doctor by this point, then be honest with Makoto and_ break up with him_. He doesn't deserve this crap from you." Before Elli could speak, she continued. "Just _do_ something, Elli."

Elli stood up. "I will," she told Karen firmly. With that, she turned and left.

The walk to the clinic felt like a walk down a long, cramped corridor. Her hands quivered the closer she came, but she managed to make her way inside. Cautiously, she walked past the infirmary, but stopped short.

Something urged her to turn around, that it just wasn't worth bringing up her issues with the Doctor. But as she thought back to her fight with Karen, and with Makoto, she took a deep breath and knocked twice on the door.

But no answer came. When, after a second knock, no answer came again, Elli edged open the door and poked her head into his office, only to find that the lights were out and he wasn't there. Dejected, she stepped out and shut the door behind herself, and headed back into the infirmary.

No matter how hard she tried focusing on her studies, she found she couldn't get any work done. All the while, she kept glancing up at the clock. Finally, after a long hour, the front door opened. Elli jumped, and Tim entered the lobby with a rather large book tucked under his arm. He stopped short at the door, giving Elli a quick look before heading for his office.

"Sorry that I didn't leave you a note," he said as he passed. He stopped at the partitions, and turned to face her. "I was at the library."

"That's okay, Doctor," Elli replied, managing a smile. Tim nodded, and continued for his office. After she heard the door shut behind him, she sighed, and quietly said to herself: "You have to do this."

With that, she pushed aside her textbook, got up, and headed for the office. She lightly knocked

Inside, the Doctor's chair scraped against the floor. Elli's heart leapt up to her throat as she silently and slowly tried counting to ten. Before she had time to think of anything to say, Tim stuck his head outside.

"Hey," she stammered, faking a smile. "Do you have a moment?"

Tim casted her a baffled look as he stepped out from his office. "Sure..." he said slowly. "What's the matter?" he asked, getting Elli to stammer in reply. Tim watched her uneasily.

Finally, Elli began to speak. "You know how... last year..." Tim furrowed his brow more and more, making it harder for Elli to speak. She sighed, and then said: "Listen, Doctor." She looked into his eyes. "I used to like you... a lot, last year, and..." But Tim held up his hand to get her to stop talking.

"I understand what you're trying to say, Elli," he said to her quietly. WIth a sigh, he continued speaking, as if reciting lines. "But there's no way I ever have, or ever will consider pursuing a relationship with someone who's eleven years my junior."

Elli furrowed her brow. "But I thought..."

"If I've been indicating otherwise, then I'm sorry," Tim continued stiffly.

Giving an uneasy laugh, Elli shook her head. "Wow," she said lamely, feeling her ears turn red. "Then I'm really mistaken." She rubbed her fingers on her palm. "But, ummm... just for the record... I really, really like Makoto, and..."

"You don't have to tell me that," Tim told her, giving a small, polite smile. Elli managed another laugh.

"Right..." she said. She backed up, and added: "Well, I should be getting back to my work now."

Tim nodded. "No problem."

She inched back more. "Thanks for hearing me out."

He shrugged. "Anytime."

With one last nod, Elli turned and headed back for the front desk, sitting back down. She found she couldn't focus on her work. Glumly, she looked over at the flowers Makoto had given her two days back, cupping a white rose in her hand. With a sigh, she went back to her work, though she found herself zoning out and checking the clock more than she worked, even though there wasn't too much to finish.

Then it hit her. She needed to speak to Makoto.

xXxXxX

Makoto awoke and quickly sat up, only to wince at the stiffness in his neck and shoulders. After a moment or so, he clambered to his feet and did some shoulder rotations.

Then he remembered his dream. Without another thought, he headed down the stairs of his porch and ran as fast as he could to the entrance of the farm, wincing and slowing down only when the pain caught up with him.

It took him about twenty minutes to make it to the Inn.Though there were a few people seated at some of the tables, there was no one around at the counter, not even Doug. Still, Makoto felt the need to turn his back to everyone and shrink into the corner as he dialed the number to his old home.

The phone rang once, and then twice. Each time it rang, Makoto gripped the phone a little tighter. "_Hello?_" his father finally asked.

"Hey."

"_Makoto!_" His father chuckled. "_You called back._"

"Of course, Dad." He paused. "How are you doing?"

"_Fine. Work is going well._"

Makoto groaned a bit, and before his father could finish, he asked: "Can't you give me an answer that doesn't have to do with work?"

His father sighed. "_I really don't have much to say_," he answered. Before Makoto could say anything else, he asked: "_How are you doing?_"

With a sigh, Makoto said: "Pretty good. I've just been busy with the harvest, but that's been coming along pretty much okay."

Makoto's father hummed. "_It's good that you're working hard._"Makoto nodded.

"Yeah..."

A pause came from his father's end after that. "_So..._" he started. "_How are you and Elli doing?_"

Makoto sputtered, and in disbelief repeated: "How are me and Elli doing...?"

"_Yes,__ I'd like to know, Makoto._"

"We're alright, I guess," Makoto sighed. His throat tightened up a bit, and he lowered his voice so no one else would hear him. "But we got into a fight earlier."

"_You'll be okay,_" his father replied stiffly. Shaking his head, Makoto squeezed the receiver so hard that his knuckles turned white. He flatly said:

"I'd knew you'd understand, Dad."

Even through the phone, Makoto's father seemed hurt. "_So..._" he continued slowly, as if unsure what to say. "_I've been given time off this fall._"

"You're really gonna come here?" Makoto asked.

Once again, Makoto's father didn't respond right away. "_Of course, Makoto. I really want to see you._" He paused again, and in a low voice, added: "_You know... I didn't think... last year, that you would actually want to take on the farm and stay in Mineral Town. _"

"I know, Dad," Makoto answered. "I didn't think I was gonna do it either."

"_I hope you start making some plans for after you're done there, Makoto._"

"We'll see," Makoto answered. "I don't know yet."

"_Well, start planning._" Makoto sighed again and leaned up on the wall, getting ready to hang up the phone when his father said: "_Listen, Makoto. I love you_."

Makoto gripped the phone and stood there, almost in disbelief. "Dad... Is everything okay?"

"_I just miss my son_." There was a pause, during which Makoto blinked deliberately. "_You left so suddenly..._" He went silent. Makoto gripped the receiver again; his head spun.

"But I couldn't stay at home, Dad," Makoto choked out, so quietly that only his father could hear.

"_We could have moved somewhere else,_" his father told him pointedly.

Keep his voice low and gritting his teeth, Makoto replied: "But you didn't want to leave your job."

There was another silence. "_Well, looking back on it... I could have transferred._"

"But instead you're at the base, dealing with the fact that _everyone_ knows your son fucked up his--"

A growl from the other end startled Makoto. "_Goddamnit, Makoto! That's enough out of you!_"

"Dad!" A dial tone followed. With that, Makoto hastily hung up as well, and realized that the Mayor was watching him from his table. As he headed away from the phone and walked along the counter, he looked up and hastily mumbled: "I was just talking to my dad."

Thomas looked as if he was at a loss for words. Still, he didn't quite return to eating, and as Makoto hovered by a seat at the counter, he watched him. Makoto found he felt sick, that he wanted to leave, so he made his way to the door, quietly bidding the Mayor farewell on his way out.

Not long after he made it outside, he wiped his brow. It had become muggy out after the rain, and the sun showed no signs of setting any time within the next hour. As he passed Rose Square, he saw that Anna, Manna, and Sasha were heading their separate ways home. After he greeted them, he thanked Sasha for letting him stay at her house.

"He locked himself out of the clinic last night," Sasha explained to Manna and Anna. Then she turned to Makoto and said: "You're welcome over anytime, Makoto."

"Thanks, Mrs. Cardone," he said, unable to help but sound downtrodden. Sasha clicked her tongue, worried.

"What's the matter, Makoto?"

Makoto found he didn't want to answer in front of Manna and Anna as well, but when they too looked worried, he sighed. "I called my dad," he said, "and pretty much he asked me about work and..." He hesitated. "...and Elli... and then mostly told me to start planning what I'm going to do at the end of next year." Dejected, he didn't say anything else, getting Sasha to hug him.

"He misses you, Makoto," she told him after she let him go.

Makoto let his head hang, and with his father's last words to him ringing in his head, he guiltily said: "I know..." Sympathetically, Sasha nodded. Manna lingered behind her, still worried but unable to say something to Makoto. Looking around at the three of them, Makoto found he couldn't tell them about how he ran off and left his father alone.

Hesitating a bit, Anna placed her hand on Makoto's arm. "He's lonely without your mother," she said, looking into his eyes, "and now with you gone, too."

"Wait a minute," Manna interrupted, looking baffled. "Makoto... _without your mother_?"

Finding himself a bit baffled that Anna knew about his mother, Makoto sighed and said: "My mother died when I was really little." He kept his eye on Anna, but didn't say anything after that. Manna kept speaking.

"It's no wonder he's so upset, Makoto," she continued. "Wouldn't you be upset too?"

"I guess..." Makoto answered despondently. He let out another sigh. "He says he's coming to visit in the fall."

Sasha smiled. "Then I hope you and him spend a lot of time together when he visits."

"Yeah," Makoto sighed, giving a faint smile of his own.

"He can meet Elli," Manna offered cheerfully. She gave a laugh. "I mean, I know I sometimes think that you're a bit too gloomy for her..."

"Manna!" Sasha cut in admonishingly, elbowing her. Almost obliviously, Manna continued.

"But it'll be nice, really, that he gets to meet her."

Sasha added to that. "He'll be very happy to see you with her."

Unable to respond, Makoto did his best to crack a smile. With that, he cleared his throat, faked a look at his watch, and mentioned that he needed to get going. After saying his goodbyes, he swiftly made his way to the road, rounding the corner and wiping his eyes once he was sure he was out of anybody's sight.

Once he looked up, he found Stu walking a short distance ahead of him on his way home from the church. Stu glanced over his shoulder, noticing Makoto. He stopped and waved, but once Makoto came closer, he noticed the frown on his face. "What's the matter, Stu?"

"Nothing," Stu responded glumly, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked up at Makoto and asked: "Are you and my sister fighting?" Unsure of whether or not he should answer at first, Makoto nodded after a moment. Stu looked crestfallen. "You are?"

"Yeah... we are..."

"Oh..."

They started on their way down the road. Makoto watched him for a moment as he idly kicked at a pebble. Then he placed a hand on Stu's shoulder, catching his attention. "Listen, Stu..."

"I don't want my sister and you to fight..." Stu interrupted.

Finding himself hesitant to reply, Makoto simply sighed and said: "Your sister and I are gonna be fine."

"Really?" Stu half-asked, almost disbelieving. Makoto found it hard to give an answer, just barely able to convince himself.

"Just you wait, Stu."

Stu didn't seem entirely assured, either. When they made it back to his house, Makoto watched him as he sulked off across the lawn. For a few more moments, he waited out there, unable to bring himself to go inside.

"Hey, Makoto," Elli said quietly, coming up from behind him. Makoto turned around and smiled faintly, getting her to share it for a moment.

"Hey, Elli."

Neither of them could bring themselves to say anything much for a little while after that. "Stu's upset over us..." Makoto finally told her.

"I know..."

"I told him we'll be okay," Makoto continued. "But he's still worried."

"I know..." Elli sighed, looking over at him. They stood side-by-side, staying quiet as Makoto idly brushed his hand against hers. Elli bit her lip, unable to stay quiet any longer. "I'm sorry, Makoto..."

Makoto didn't say anything, and instead took her hand in his. "It's okay, Elli," he said, dismissing her. "I really don't want to break up or anything, so..."

"Makoto..."

"But if you don't mind," Makoto continued, "I'm probably gonna skip out on dinner so I can go back to my house and relax."

Defeated, Elli shook her head, turning away and staring blankly at the base of the mailbox standing in the front yard. "Of course I don't mind," she told him hollowly. "You deserve it."

Nodding again, Makoto quietly said: "Yeah." He glanced over Elli's shoulder at her house, and then added: "Tell your grandmother I'm sorry I'm not coming over tonight, okay Elli?"

Elli managed a smile. "Don't worry. She'll understand."

"Tell, Stu also, alright?"

"Of course."

With a parting nod, Makoto started on his way down the road. Elli stood back and didn't do anything, watching him walk away before heading out after him. "Makoto, wait!"

Makoto stopped, and turned around. "What's wrong, Elli?" he asked. Elli ran after him, taking him by the wrist and walking him back in front of the house.

"Listen..." she started. "You know... I don't know if I should say this now, after being dishonest with you, but... but..." When she trailed, however, Makoto nodded, and shared a gaze with her. He couldn't help but bring his hand up to her hair, running it through. "I love you, and if you want, I want you to come in."

Quietly, Makoto kept watching her. Her heart pounded, until finally, he cupped her face in his hand and leaned forth.

After a moment, Elli drew herself closer, resting her hand on his shoulder. Then they drew back from each other, staying in each other's arms as they shared a laugh. Still holding hands, they leisurely made their way to the front door. But Makoto stopped her once they reached the front step, pulling her into a hug that she shared. He rested his chin on her head, not wanting to let her go. And after a while, she sensed it too, and held him the same way, as if afraid to let go of him.

xXxXxX

**Hmmm... is Karen right in saying what she did, or is she just showing her bad side? (Everyone's got one, everyone will show one at some point or another in the story.) What about Elli? If it seems like I left a few things that I really didn't elaborate on, then don't worry- we'll look more at Tim and Stu later on. Anyway, onto (really long) shoutouts! Thanks all for reading/reviewing. **

**Ferocious Death-Kappa**- I admit, it was hard writing Elli's reaction to Makoto overworking himself, but knowing her, she'd probably keep her feelings mostly in check in favor of making sure her patient recovers. Hopefully that came out okay. **EvanescentShadow**- Strawberry Fields is love! I love writing it, and I love seeing you guys love it. I figure that Ann didn't cook the cod that well, and everyone got sick. But keep an eye on the Doctor there, and on our lovebirds as well. You never know what'll happen. **ChiiOfSpades**- Like Ferocious Death-Kappa said, Makoto "dead from agriculture". Agriculture kills, you know. Yeah... Makoto did seem a little too enthusiastic at the beginning of the last chapter, but I guess he's really into his farmwork. He should be, if he's doing it for Elli's sake. **Rhianwen**- Gotta take into account that, while playing the game, your farm chores take up at least half the day. Gotta feel bad for Elli, too. Ew. **And we have two new readers- ForeverNDarkness** and **WITHERED**- Welcome, guys! Hopefully I can keep it up and keep you guys reading. Thanks a bunch!

**In the next chapter, Kai comes to town, the source of Stu's numerous bruises is revealed in a "very special episode", and one of these things actually doesn't happen.** Until next time... check out the forum I set up in the meantime.


	15. Summer

Strawberry Fields- **The most action-packed Harvest Moon fic out there!!  
**

**Alright! Here goes. Hope you enjoy it.  
**

**xXxXxX**

The last day of Spring always brought about a stir with the townsfolk. Each year, arguments broke out between men and women; a few townsfolk found themselves squabbling on the afternoon just before the annual arrival of a young man who, every summer, spent his days lazing about the beach and causing these fights.

"So what?" Sasha huffed, getting Duke to roll his eyes at her. The group had gathered at the supermarket, and the bag of groceries Jeff had rung up for Duke and Manna was long since forgotten. "He's allowed to relax here during his summers. It's the only time of year he gets vacation from work."

"Yeah, but he can go somewhere else," Duke retorted, furrowing his brow. "Of all the places in the world he can go, why does he have to come here?"

"He likes it here," Sasha told him pointedly. "He always says he likes that we have such a small, quiet town, that he can come and relax here." Folding her arms over her chest, she asked: "Is there something so wrong with that?"

Duke groaned. "There's other small towns he can visit, Sasha. Can't he spend time in the Valley instead?"

"He likes the beach," Anna pointed out. "And you know the Valley doesn't have as large a beach that we have here."

Throwing up his arms, Duke sighed: "There's no winning this one, huh?"

Sasha groaned, and turned to her husband. "Jeff, dear," she asked, cutting him the same stare she always gave him when she would ask about the stores debts, "what do _you_ think?"

Jeff gulped, finding Duke's stare to almost be as intimidating as his wife's. "C'mon, Jeff," Duke said. "You know I'm right."

"Duke!" Sasha snapped.

"You agree with me all the time that Kai's just a little snot-nosed punk," Duke continued. He smirked. "Weren't those _your words_, Jeff?"

Though Jeff inched back, he replied: "No, Duke, they were _yours_."

Motioning to Manna, Anna, and Sasha, Duke said: "Tell these ladies what you really think of Kai."

Jeff shook his head. "I don't want to get into a fight about some kid, Duke!" he shot back, balling his fist. "Leave it alone already!" From next to him, Sasha rubbed his arm comfortingly. "It was enough to constantly argue about Makoto," Jeff continued, his voice rising. "Now we have to fight over _every_ person who comes here?"

"It's not _every_ person who comes here." Oblivious to the ringing of the bell above the door, they kept talking. "And granted," Duke continued, "I hated Makoto's guts too." He rolled his eyes, and grumbled. "And while he's _marginally _better now..."

"Shut up, Duke," Manna cut in, getting his attention. "You told him that you liked him."

"Whatever..." He went on. "Anyway, Makoto has never tried to hit on every girl in this town." He jabbed a finger at Jeff's chest. "Jeff, you know he tried to get Karen the first two years he's been here, and that he even hits on your wife."

"Duke--" Sasha started.

"It's not right!" Duke interjected, turning to her. "I don't like it, and neither does your husband." He pointed at Jeff, and then turned to Anna. "And I know Basil doesn't like Kai either, Anna."

"Basil never even talks about Kai," Anna retorted.

"Oh, well, Basil doesn't mention much of anything to you," Duke said sardonically. "But that's another story."

Scowling, Anna swept forth and stuck her finger in his face. "How _dare_ you, Duke??" But when just as Anna got ready to slap him, someone spoke up.

"Stop it already!"

All five of them turned to the entrance of the shop, where Makoto stood, looking unsure of himself. Duke seethed, but it was Anna who coolly spoke up. "Makoto, don't interrupt," she said, still wearing a bit of a scowl.

Makoto nodded, pushing open the shop door and heading back outside. The adults remained quiet for a moment and seethed, right until Makoto came back inside.

"Makoto!" Duke roared, thrusting a finger at the door. "Get out!"

"No," Makoto said firmly. "I think it's stupid that you guys are getting into a huge fight over Kai."

Duke turned to everyone else. "See," he said furtively. "I said it. _Marginally_ better." But before Makoto could say anything, someone reached into the store and pulled him out by the arm. As the door swung shut behind Makoto, Duke rolled his eyes and muttered: "Good."

Outside, Karen dragged Makoto away from the store, and over to the bench by the road, sitting him down. "Karen! What the hell??" he demanded.

Karen groaned. "Mackie, it's nice that you want to be the mediator, but you've got to learn that there's no hope stopping them sometimes." Makoto sighed in response, and Karen changed the subject. "So, what's up? Did you need to get groceries?"

"Yeah," Makoto replied, nodding.

"Okay," Karen said. "I'll bring you some of the stuff you usually get, and you can pay me later."

"And coffee," Makoto told her.

Rolling her eyes, Karen replied: "Duh..."

With that, Makoto pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it up for her. "Here," he said, handing her some cash. "Take the money now." Karen shrugged and took it.

"Sure thing, Mackie."

"I'm probably gonna be at Elli's anyway," Makoto added. Karen's face fell at that; there was no mistaking the twitch at the corner of her mouth. "What's wrong?" Makoto asked.

Karen shook her head. "Nothing," she lied. "Nothing..." Makoto arched an eyebrow at her, but stayed quiet. "Listen," she finally said. "I need to get going. Mom and Dad probably need some help inside."

Makoto sighed. "Alright," he said lamely. "See ya."

With that, Karen got up and headed back up the path to the supermarket. Makoto leaned back on the bench and mulled over the matter for a bit, until a voice said: "Makoto... hi!" He looked up to see Manna standing there with a bag of groceries in her arm. Duke stood next to her, grumbling. "Oh, Duke, simmer down."

"Hey, Manna," Makoto replied. "Hey Duke."

"Manna, I wanna get home," Duke grumbled.

"Calm down, Duke!" She turned to Makoto, and concerned, asked: "Makoto have you heard about the fight Karen and Elli had?"

Makoto stood up. "Fight?" he asked. "What fight?"

"I'm not sure. It's so weird to see those two girls fight, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah..." Makoto replied, shifting his gaze. He glanced at his sneakers, unable to say anything. Manna shrugged.

"Well, I guess they'll work things out. I can't imagine how you would feel, being stuck in the middle..." Makoto still found he couldn't say anything, so he instead lamely watched Manna as she left. He waited out there for a little bit, and no more than five minutes after Manna left, Elli came by.

"Hey, Makoto," she said, smiling and sitting down with him. She kissed him, getting a smile out of him. "I got out of work early today."

"That's great, Elli." He paused. "Ummm... what happened with you and Karen?"

"Nothing," Elli replied hastily, managing a smile and leaving Makoto with nothing more to ask about as she got up again. Sighing, he got up too and headed with her to her house.

**xXxXxX**

Kai Huntington only came to Mineral Town once a year, and pretty much did nothing each summer. The most he would do was lay out beach towels and set up umbrellas for the annual swim race, leaving everything out for the entire season until the day before he left. Then he would sweep the floors and clean the windows of his restaurant, and then wait for customers.

But usually, only one person showed up.

"Kai!" Popuri exclaimed, running up to him as he opened up a huge red and white umbrella.

Looking over his shoulder, Kai flashed a grin. "Popuri!" he exclaimed, catching her in a hug. Beaming, Popuri drew back, and blushing a bit, said:

"You look great, Kai!" With a bit of a nod, he took his compliment. With his leanly muscled body frame, Kai looked like he belonged on an Olympic swim team. And with his chiseled, charming smile, his flashing dark eyes, and his naturally tanned skin, he looked like more someone who stepped off the set of a glamorous teen drama than someone who would fit in with Mineral Town's band of teenage misfits.

Not exactly making eye contact, Kai smirked a bit and replied: "You too..." Popuri remained oblivious, however, taking him by the wrist and giving him a tug.

"C'mon, Kai!" she chirped. "We need to catch up!" Heading for the Seaside Lounge, she added: "You haven't written since fall!"

Rolling his eyes a bit, Kai headed off after her.

After making a few glasses of iced tea, the two of them sat down across from each other at one of the tables draped in red checkered cloth, drinking and talking.

"So, get this, me mate just stares." Kai laughed, his dark eyes flashing. "He's just unable to say anything."

From across the table, Popuri giggled. "That's so silly, Kai," she said.

"Yeah," Kai replied, still chuckling and shaking his head. "I know." He grinned. "So, what's been going on around here?"

"Nothing, as usual," Popuri half-moaned. "It's sooo boring here, you know."

Kai shrugged. "It's alright, I guess," he said. "it's just great to go somewhere so laid back. Is Gray still around? Still working for his grandpa?"

"Yep," Popuri replied. Kai nodded.

"And are Cliff and Ann still together?"

"Still together!" Popuri echoed brightly.

"Cool cool. What about Mackie? Did he finally fess up to liking Elli, or is he still being a retard about it?"

"They're together now," Popuri said, and clapping her hands together, she added: "I think it's soooo sweet!!" Kai rolled his eyes.

"About time," he said, chuckling. "I thought that kid was such a moron. He obviously had this girl liking him, but he wouldn't do anything about it."

"I know!"

"Anything else happen around here?" Kai asked, giving a lazy stretch.

"Well, actually," Popuri started brightly. "Aja came back."

Cocking his head curiously, Kai asked. "You mean Duke and Manna's daughter?"

"Yeah... I don't think she'll be around much longer," Popuri continued. When Kai arched his eyebrows at her, she said: "I mean, she's kind of like a recluse. She doesn't really hang out or anything. But she hurt herself really badly, so I understand."

Just then, the door of the Seaside Lounge flew open, and Rick stormed into the restaurant. "I can't believe you would come here behind my back, Popuri!" he called out, heading up to the table. He slammed down his hand and jerked a thumb at the door, his eyes on his sister. "Let's go!" he told her.

"What's wrong with me coming here to greet Kai?" Popuri asked, huffing. "He hasn't seen any of us for a year."

Kai smirked, standing up. "Yeah. Chill out, mate."

"I'm not your 'mate'!" Rick snapped, jabbing a finger at him. He then pointed at Popuri, getting her to stammer and sputter. "Let's _go_, Popuri!"

"Why??" she asked him.

"Let's just _leave_!"

From next to her, Kai motioned at the door and spoke up. "Go on, Popuri. I need to clean up this place and finishing getting everything set up for the swim meet anyway."

"I'll stay and help," Popuri offered eagerly, completely ignoring Rick's groans.

"Don't worry," Kai said coolly, waving his hand and not even looking at Rick. "Maybe Zack or Gray will help." He shrugged. "I'll just see you tomorrow."

"Let's go, Popuri," Rick repeated, gritting his teeth. "We need to plant corn today."

"Go plant some corn, Popuri," Kai said, nodding in Rick's direction. Moping a bit, Popuri got up and followed Rick. "I'll be alright here," he added as she left.

As Rick ushered Popuri out the door, he rolled his eyes and grumbled: "Shut up, Kai. No one likes you."

**xXxXxX**

Later on, at Elli's house, Makoto once again asked Elli about Karen while they were setting the table. "Makoto," Elli started, without looking across at him, "can you drop it? It's no big deal."

"Elli, that's a lie," Makoto told her pointedly, looking up at her as she neatly laid down the utensils. He set down the last of the plates as she cut him a slight glare.

"Do you really want to know what happened, Makoto?" she asked him calmly.

"Of course I do," Makoto said. "I'm your boyfriend."

Laying down the last fork, Elli looked him in the eyes and said: "We had a fight." She sighed, shaking her head. "A bad one."

Makoto watched her for a moment, and choked up, said: "That really sucks." Elli nodded, and once Makoto headed over to her, she pulled him into a quick hug.

"I don't really want to tell you what happened," Elli told him, "just because I don't want you stuck in the middle."

Without breaking eye contact, Makoto quietly asked: "How can you expect me to just let this go?"

Elli shook her head, keeping her voice low as well once she noticed Stu hanging around in the foyer. "I don't want you to get mad at her. She's like a sister to you." Makoto placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Yeah, but you're my girlfriend."

Giving a sigh, Elli found she couldn't look at Makoto, much less say anything. And as Ellen called them into the kitchen, all Makoto found he could do was keep his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, knowing not to ask her anything else. "What were you guys talking about?" Stu asked as they headed into the foyer.

"Stu, dearie," Ellen said, poking her head out from the kitchen. "Don't be nosy."

Stu pouted. "I just wanna know what they were talking about."

"We were talking about the race tomorrow," Elli told him, mussing up his hair. She smiled at him. "Aren't you looking forward to it?"

"Well, yeah..." Stu replied, shrugging. "But you guys looked all serious, like something bad was happening."

Makoto took a moment to reply. "That's 'cause I kept insisting that I was going to come over early, help out your sister, and go with you guys there."

"And I kept telling him that he needed to get up early to do his farm work, and not to worry about us," Elli continued, getting Ellen to smile and shake her head haplessly.

"Yeah," Makoto said. "But I kept telling your sister that I wanted to help if she needed it."

Stu nodded. "Ohh..."

"Yep," Elli said. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned forth a bit and said: "Go sit down now, okay?"

"Okay..." Stu headed for the dining room, leaving Ellen behind with Elli and Makoto. She shook her head.

"You kids..." she said, almost cautiously reaching down for the stove. Makoto took notice and offered to pull out the food. "Thank you, Makoto," she told him as she watched him place the metal tray on the counter. "Could you take the salad to the table?" she asked, motioning to the bowl sitting on the kitchen table. "You can wait for us there."

Makoto nodded. "Sure," he said, taking the bowl. He headed for the dining room.

Turning to Elli, Ellen continued in a low, concerned voice. "Elli," she said, placing a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder. "Sasha came over today and told me that you and Karen had an awful fight yesterday. She was worried about you girls."

Glumly, Elli sighed. "Karen told me that she thinks I don't love Makoto," she answered. When Ellen peered at her curiously over the rims of her glasses, she added: "Because I used to really have a thing for someone else. But since he wasn't reciprocating, I noticed that Makoto really liked me, and I liked him, and..." She trailed.

"I guess Karen sees that Makoto adores you," Ellen said. "And she cares a lot about him."

"Yeah..."

"She must think it strange that you suddenly went from being in love with one person to dating Makoto," Ellen told her.

Elli furrowed her brow. "But it's not like that," she quietly insisted. "And the first guy... he was just a crush." She shook her head. "When you have a crush, it goes away after a while."

Ellen hugged her. "I know..." She let go. "Let's finish getting dinner ready. The boys are waiting for us."

But once they sat down, Elli immediately noticed Makoto slumping in his seat. Under the table, she placed her hand on his lap, but he still stayed quiet throughout most of the meal, only speaking when Ellen asked him if he was feeling better after collapsing.

Later on that evening, Ellen came into the living room as Makoto and Elli were watching a movie to bid them goodnight. Once they heard she was out of an earshot, Makoto grabbed the remote from the coffee table and shut off the television. "I hate this movie," he said darkly. "I'm sure you think it's awful, too."

But Elli couldn't bring herself to say anything. "Y'know..." Makoto continued. He took her hand. "At first, I thought it was weird that you stopped liking the Doctor and started dating me." She looked over at him. "But I guess since, y'know, back home, I wasn't really well liked by people in school, or the teachers, or the neighbors..." He paused for a moment. "I guess that means that I know when people like me, too." He shrugged. "And... well... I know you love me."

Still unable to say anything and feeling tired, Elli sighed. Makoto leaned forth and kissed her on the cheek. And though his lips barely touched her when he kissed her neck, she felt it overtake her, settling into him as he eased her close.

**xXxXxX**

The townsfolk all headed down to the beach around nine the next morning, either settling down under huge striped umbrellas, or laying down towels in the sun. After declaring his seaside lounge open for business, Kai walked around handing out hand-written coupons to everyone.

"Hey there, Duke," he said with a nod. When Duke simply muttered in reply, Kai smiled, held out a coupon, and added: "I see you've lost weight."

"Shut up, Kai," Duke told him, snatching the purple slip of paper and heading off with Manna. Kai nodded, giving a thumbs-up as Duke walked away.

"That's cool, man. That's cool." He grinned, but when Duke cut him a dirty look over his shoulder, he nodded and headed off. Glancing around for a moment or so, he watched as the arriving townsfolk found spots and settled down on beach blankets in the sand. Finally, he spotted Popuri, and strode up to her.

From next to Karen, Rick glared at Kai as he approached, but Kai kept focused on Popuri. "What's up, babe?" he asked, flashing a cool grin and sticking the coupons in the pocket of his swim trunks. Popuri giggled, hiding her cheeks from him and shying away. But before she could reply, Rick spoke up.

"Go take a walk, Kai," he said, springing up to his feet and approaching Kai. Karen groaned and hid her face in her palm.

Chuckling, Kai rolled his eyes. "Chill out, man. I was just talking to her."

"We don't want you sitting here, so just leave," Rick pressed. Holding up his hands in mock surrender, Kai headed off as Karen loudly groaned again.

"_Rick_!" Popuri scolded her brother. "Honestly! Can't you just leave him alone for once?"

However, Rick ignored her, and instead glowered at the sight of Kai offering more coupons to Jeff, who looked a bit wary as he politely turned him down. For a couple more moments, they sat in silence, watching the townsfolk as they chatted with each other.

"Awwww!" Popuri suddenly exclaimed. "They're so cute together!". Glancing over his shoulder, Rick saw Popuri pointing at Makoto and Elli. He and Karen turned to see Makoto on his haunches, rubbing sunblock on Stu's face as Elli watched. "He's such a good boyfriend!" Popuri continued, getting a trace of a dirty look out of Karen "I mean, I know he can be so grouchy sometimes, but it's _sooo_ nice that he helps Elli take care of Stu!" Wistfully, she sighed and added: "I want a boyfriend who's sweet like that."

Rick groaned. "Yeah, well, you won't find that with Kai."

"Rick!" Popuri snapped.

"I'm just telling the truth, Popuri," Rick replied.

"Kai is _very_ nice," Popuri told him as Karen stopped her springing to her feet. "You just don't know him!" she added, drawing the attention of a few of the townsfolk.

"Can you guys shut up before you get into another fight??" Karen demanded, keeping her voice low. "I mean, we're in public! Have a little decency!" Popuri folded her arms over her chest, and Rick simply didn't say anything after that, instead muttering a bit to himself.

"Why did you scowl when I mentioned Makoto and Elli?" Popuri suddenly asked Karen.

"I didn't scowl."

"You kind of did"

Karen sighed. "Oh, it's nothing, Popuri."

"Didn't you get into some sort of fight with her?" Rick asked.

Popuri gasped. "Why would you into a fight with Elli?"

"Because," Karen replied, "I just thought she was doing something messed up, so I told her that."

"What?" Popuri asked curiously.

Flipping her hair, Karen said: "Don't be nosy, Popuri."

"Is it about Mackie?" Popuri asked. "I mean, what else would it be about?"

"Well, then, you know the answer," Karen told her sarcastically. She glanced up at Makoto and Elli. "I'm going to apologize to her today." She sighed, and ruefully added: "Not that I think she's completely right, but I really shouldn't have said what I said to her."

Popuri pouted. "What made you so upset?" Mulling over it, she beamed and asked: "Do you have a thing for Mackie?"

Rick scrambled to his feet. "Popuri!" he exclaimed, only for her to giggle in return.

"I was just kidding!" she exclaimed. Grumbling to himself, Rick sat back down.

"Yes, Popuri," Karen replied sarcastically. "Because I _really_ have a thing for Mackie and his funny nose, monotone voice, and his Beatle haircut."

"His hair is cute!" Popuri gushed. "And once you get around the other stuff, he's not _completely_ unattractive." She giggled. "He's actually kind of cute." Karen managed a half smile, and half-heartedly joked:

"In a funny kind of way, I guess."

Oblivious to the tone in Karen's voice, Popuri giggled. Rick rolled his eyes, giving a laugh as he got up again. "I'm gonna get us some sodas," he said to the girls. He gave a smile of his own. "This girlie talk is getting ridiculous."

Meanwhile, Makoto and Elli watched from their spot as Stu built a sandcastle, sitting a stretch back from him. Far too preoccupied with his work, Stu didn't even bother to look back at Makoto and Elli, leaving them to talk. Once he lifted away his pail, he got up, and with a roar, pounced onto the sandcastle.

Elli clicked her tongue. "All that work for nothing," she said, shaking her head. Nodding and smiling, Makoto took her hand. "You really don't mind watching Stu with me, Makoto?"

"Why would I mind?" Makoto asked in reply. Elli playfully rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I don't know..." With a laugh, Makoto leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Moving closer to him, Elli brushed her lips up against his, but Makoto pulled back.

"In front of everyone...?" he asked uneasily, giving a half-smile.

"Don't be silly, Makoto," Elli told him. Shaking his head, Makoto leaned forth and kissed her on the cheek, brushing back her hair a bit.

"Eww, you guys!" Stu groaned, getting the two to laugh and look up at him. Folding his arms over his chest and huffing, Stu went on. "The Doctor says he wants to talk to you, sis." Makoto furrowed his brow after Stu said that, as Elli gave him a baffled look.

"I guess need to go now," she told Makoto. "We need to get squared away with the Mayor about supervising the swimmers." Makoto nodded, and Elli gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck, Makoto."

Still a bit put off, Makoto quietly thanked Elli and watched her head off to meet up with Tim and the Mayor on the dock. Tim pretended not to look at her as she approached, only turning to her once she came near.

"Are you going to win?" Stu asked, grabbing Makoto's attention. Makoto looked up at Stu, who stood over him, and shrugged.

"I dunno," he replied. "I'm not sure if I'm going to race. I haven't signed up yet."

Stu huffed, rolling his eyes at Makoto. "You _have_ to race!" he exclaimed. "Duh!"

"Why?" Makoto asked in reply. But when Stu sulked a bit, Makoto held out his arms and said: "Well, I have long arms and legs, so I guess I can win." That got Stu to brighten up.

"Swimmers shave their heads," he continued eagerly. He then pointed to Makoto's hair. "That'll slow you down." Before Makoto could say anything, however, Stu added: "But you have no chest hair, so you can win maybe."

Somehow, Popuri and Karen overheard him. Popuri giggled and Karen burst out laughing. Even Manna had overheard and was turning red as she struggled to suppress a fit of laughter. In an attempt to hide himself, Makoto put his hand to his red face and turned away from them.

"Stu, why don't we go play with your frisbee for a little bit before the race starts?" he asked, reaching over and pulling a frisbee out of Elli's beach bag. Stu rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess..."

Soon came the time for the race. A few people heckled Cliff when they noticed he stayed away from the water. "C'mon, Cliff," Kai told him. "All the other guys are swimming."

"Cliff can't swim," Rick told Kai defensively, stopping on his way to the dock. Ashamed, Cliff turned away and hid his face. Groaning at Kai, Rick passed the other contestants and headed over to the end of the dock where Mayor Thomas mopping sweat from his brow and holding a megaphone. Uncomfortably adjusting his candy red blazer, he flipped the switch on the megaphone. A screech cut short everyone's chatter.

Embarrassed, the Mayor cleared his throat. "Hello everyone!" he said eagerly into the megaphone. "Are you guys excited for the swim race?"

"Oh yeah! So excited!" Cliff called back, unable to help but laugh. A few people cracked up, and the Mayor turned even redder. From near the starting line, where a few of the swimmers had gathered, Harris folded his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes.

The Mayor awkwardly continued. "Yes, anyway..." He trailed off for a moment. "I'm going to hand the hosting off to Rick now." He then handed the megaphone to Rick, and shuffled out of the way.Managing one last glare at Kai, Rick then faked a smile.

"Alright, guys!" he announced. He pointed at a few people who weren't warming up with the swimmers. "Gray, get over to the starting line." Gray frowned, handing his cap to Mary before heading off. "Mackie, are you swimming?" Rick then asked.

Makoto looked over at Elli, who stood with the Doctor over by a table set up with life guard supplies and a first aid kit. She smiled nodded encouragingly. "You better do it," Stu told him. With that, Makoto headed over to the water.

"Great," Rick said. "Alright! Let's get this started! You all know the rules..."

The blond kid raised his hand. "I don't." From next to him, Kai cracked up, and Rick rolled his eyes. "Nah... I'm good," the blond kid told Rick.

"Fine then," Rick said, shaking his head. He held up a cork gun. "Swimmers, on your mark!"

Everyone got ready. Popuri cheered. "Go get 'em Kai!" Kai turned around and flashed a grin, waving at Popuri.

Groaning audibly, Rick scowled at Kai. "Get set!"

Jeff gulped as he looked from Kai, to Gray, and back to Kai again.

"Go!" Rick exclaimed. And once he fired the pistol, all the swimmers dived forth.

**xXxXxX**

"Wow, Kai, you're amazing!" Popuri gushed after the race, handing back the small silver trophy he had won. Kai took his trophy; his smug grin spoke his response.

A few other women in town excitedly agreed, and the blond kid clapped Kai on the shoulder. "You were close, Rock," Kai said to him, waving the trophy. "Real close, man." He let out a laugh, and half-heartedly added: "You might even beat me next year."

Rock shrugged. "Whatever," he said lazily. "It's no big deal."

Kai looked a bit taken aback, but didn't say anything. Instead, he eyed his trophy again, and then shrugged and made his way through the small crowd around him, mentioning that he wanted to put the trophy with the others in the Seaside Lounge.

Meanwhile, the Doctor finished telling a sulking Jeff to stay away from the water until the cramp in his leg eased up, just as a few of the townsfolk began flocking towards the waves. As he did so, Elli found Makoto talking with Stu by where they had set up their towels. Once she came closer, she managed to overhear Stu saying: "Fourth place is lame!"

"At least I didn't lose," Makoto told him, shrugging.

"Yeah, but _forth place_!" Stu rolled his eyes. "Laa-aame!"

"Gray, Rock, and Kai were really good," Makoto added flatly.

Stu wagged his tongue, crossing his eyes. "Laaaaaaaaaaaaaame..."

"Don't cross your eyes, Stu," Makoto told him. "They'll stay that way forever."

"Na-uh!" Stu shot back, shaking his head. "You're making that up!"

Elli gave a wry laugh as she sat down with them. "C'mon, Stu..." she started, mussing up his hair. "Give Makoto a break.." Looking up at Makoto, she added: "You did really well."

"Thanks, Elli." With that, he leaned forth and kissed her on the cheek. Stu immediately got up and headed for the water, and Makoto looked up and said: "Stay where we can see you, Stu."

Rolling her eyes and playfully smacking Makoto, Elli added: "We'll be right there with you." Makoto smiled and tickled her, and she couldn't help but share a laugh with him.

Stu turned around. "It's okay!" he called out. "You guys can stay there and make out!" They let go of each other as all eyes fell on them, hiding their faces from everyone. Elli felt her ears turn red.

"Yeah," Makoto said to Elli. "He also told everyone in town that I don't have chest hair."

"As embarrassing as that is for him to do that, Makoto, I think everyone can see that already," Elli quipped. Makoto shook his head, grumbling. "But I know," Elli continued, stroking his hand. "It's the principle."

Makoto huffed. "Cute, Elli. Real cute." Elli clicked her tongue, giving Makoto a playful shove. Laughing with her, Makoto fought her off for another moment, finally catching her off-guard in a kiss.

When they broke away, Elli spoke up. "Let's swim now," she said, still sharing a gaze with Makoto. But before they could get up, they both noticed Karen approaching. As she came closer, they could see how upset she looked. "Hey, Karen," Elli said.

"Hey guys," Karen replied glumly. She sighed, but didn't waste too much time. "Listen, Elli," she continued. "I'm really, really sorry."

Taking a moment before replying, Elli said: "It's okay. Let's just let it go."

"Elli, it's _not_ okay," Karen told her.

Elli held up her hands. "No, really. It is."

Giving another sigh, Karen said: "Okay..." She paused. "I guess I'll see you around, then." She turned to leave, only for Makoto to place his hand on Elli's shoulder and ask:

"Do you mind if I go talk to her?"

Shaking her head, Elli replied: "No, go on." The two of them got up. "I'll go see how Stu is doing, okay?" Makoto nodded, and leaving Elli to watch her brother, he headed off after Karen. Once he caught up to her, he tapped her shoulder, getting her to turn around.

"What's the matter, Mackie?" she asked him.

"Nothing," Makoto said. "Just that... well, Elli wouldn't tell me about the fight, so I guess that means she really doesn't want to make a big deal out of this." He mused over it. "And, well, she doesn't want to hold a grudge or anything either."

"Yeah, I know..." Karen told him quietly. With that, she turned and headed for her beach towel. "See you later, Mackie."

"See ya."

He watched her leave for a moment, and then looked at the water to see some of the townsfolk swimming and splashing about, deciding to head to the dock and watch.

**xXxXxX**

Though Rick usually went out to visit Karen in the morning at the Supermarket, Karen ended up going to Chicken Lil's early the next morning. She met Rick by the entrance of the ranch with a peck on the lips, and then handed him a box wrapped in purple gift paper. "That's Popuri's birthday gift."

Rick nodded. "Yeah. I'll hide this 'til tomorrow," he said. He gave the package a shake. "What is it?"

"A book she wanted."

"Popuri reads?"

Mildly exasperated, Karen replied: "Yes, she reads, Rick. _You_ should know her better.."

"Oh, I know her," Rick told her. With that, he took another look at the gift. "Is it the sixth Harry Potter?"

Karen rolled her eyes. "That's not even out yet, Rick." Shaking his head, Rick headed for the wooden fence separating Chicken Lil's and Strawberry Fields, with Karen following. Once they leaned up against it, they looked over their shoulders and noticeda lanky figure struggling a bit as he dragged a huge sack of seeds onto the soil. Nearly stumbling back, he let go of the bag and took a few steps away. Once he noticed Rick and Karen watching him, he waved. Rick and Karen waved back, and then Rick turned to Karen.

"Listen, Karen," he said. "You gotta hear me out about this whole Kai thing."

Karen sighed. "Haven't I heard you out about the whole Kai enough times?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, but this is important," Rick insisted. "And I mean, why are you talking to him now, anyway?"

"Because it's a free country, Rick!" Karen shot back. Just as Rick was about to say something else, however, Makoto piped up.

"Hey."

Spinning around, Karen got a good look at Makoto, who was wiping his sweaty brow. "Hey, Mackie," she said.

"Are you eavesdropping?" Rick asked him sharply.

Makoto arched an eyebrow. "I wasn't at first..." he replied slowly. "Y'know... I was just coming over to say 'hi'." When he saw they gave him disbelieving looks, he added: "I was only eavesdropping as I came closer."

"Oh, thanks," Rick told him sarcastically.

Makoto looked at each of them before speaking up. "I heard about this Kai deal last year," he said quietly. He turned to Rick. "And I understand that you wanna protect Popuri." Then he turned to Karen. "Karen, you have to see that."

"But Kai's not a bad guy," Karen told him pointedly.

"He doesn't seem like he is," Makoto replied.

Rick gave Makoto a bit of a scowl. "Just what are you trying to say, Mackie? Whose side are you on?"

"Nobody's," Makoto said flatly. "I'm not taking sides."

"Listen, Mackie," Rick said, shaking his head. "It's alright. You should just stay out of this."

"It's not alright," Makoto told them firmly. "You guys are fighting over Kai, which is completely stupid."

"Karen and I fight so much..." Rick started glumly, hanging his head. "It's... it's just..." But he trailed off.

Makoto looked Karen in the eyes, pointing at her. "Karen, you need to realize that Rick just wants the best for his sister."

"Thanks," Rick said in a hollow voice. "You can leave, though. I think you should." Makoto nodded, turning away and waving at them over his shoulder as he headed back for his fields.

Once he had gotten far enough away, Rick spoke up. "You know how I feel about Kai," he pressed. "He's no good!"

But Karen rolled her eyes at him. "He's not all you make him out to be, _Rick_," she told him. "You make him seem like he's this total jerk."

"He _is_ a jerk!" Rick retorted, his voice rising. "And I don't want him around my sister!"

"Just _what_ has he done that makes him such a jerk?" Karen asked him, getting louder along with him. By then, Makoto was too far away to see them clearly, much less hear them.

Rick shook his head, unable to put together an answer at first. "I don't know!" he finally admitted. "It's just the way he's always smirking. He thinks he's better than everyone." He huffed. "And I mean, _c'mon_ Karen! I don't like that Popuri's hanging around him! You know he's a womanizer!" When Karen arched her eyebrows at him, he sputtered. "He's gonna end up doing something really terrible to her."

"Rick, you're getting way ahead of yourself," Karen told him. "Kai doesn't like her anyway. And even if he did, he's a good guy. He'd probably even be good for Popuri." She huffed, motioning with her hands. "I mean, she _wants_ a boyfriend."

Rick pointed a finger at her. "You know what, Karen?" he asked. "I don't think you're a very good judge of character." Karen stamped her foot, but before she could speak up, Rick added: "I don't want Popuri hanging around him, much less dating him."

"You can't stop Popuri from dating Kai!" Karen retorted, getting in his face.

"I have to!" Rick shot back, his voice rising. "Dad's not around to do it!"

Silence fell over them after that. But when Rick tried talking again, Karen shook her head and groaned, turning away from Rick. Riled up, Rick kicked a rock into the nearby brook. But before he could say anything, Karen turned her back and headed for the road.

"Karen!!" Rick called after her. But she didn't acknowledge him. Glowering, he sulked up to the house and sat on the front step, cupping his face in his hands. For a few moments, he muttered bitterly to himself, until Popuri stepped outside.

"I heard you and Karen arguing," she announced. "Mom's heard it all, too. She's so upset." Rick turned, expecting to see her heading towards him so they could hang out. But she turned her nose up at him and instead headed back inside, leaving Rick out there alone.

**xXxXxX**

Later on that afternoon, Karen went with Gray, Mary, and Popuri down to the beach to meet up with Kai. Popuri found it hard to say anything on the way over, barely even listening to everyone else's conversation about the upcoming tomato festival.

When they arrived at the beach, they headed inside the Seaside Lounge and found Kai behind the counter. "Hey, guys..." he greeted, though he found himself a bit puzzled. "What are you all doing here?"

"I convinced everyone to come try your cooking, Kai!" Popuri exclaimed. "Isn't that great?"

Kai nodded. "Yeah, of course." Motioning to the tables, he added: Have a seat!" They all took their seats after pushing together two smaller tables. "Y'know, guys, I'm thinking of throwing a little party tomorrow night."

Karen, Gray, and Mary exchanged shrugs. "Karen and I will come!" Popuri told him.

"We are?" Karen asked sarcastically.

Ignoring her, Kai clapped his hands. "That's great!"

"Oh, Kai," Popuri piped up. "Mackie and Elli said they'd come to dinner today, too. They should be here in a few minutes."

"Awesome!" Kicking open a fridge, he laughed. "I'm gonna screw around with them when they get here," he said, getting down and pulling out a plate of ground beef.

"You'd better not," Karen told him. "I mean, Mackie sometimes has a hard time taking a joke."

Standing up again, Kai just waved his hand at her. "Ahh... he's too uptight for his own good." But just as Makoto and Elli walked through the door, Kai looked over at them and called out: "Why, if it isn't Elli and Makoto!" He placed the dish down and headed towards them as the others said their greeting, shaking Makoto's hand. "Y'know, it's about time you guys got together."

They exchanged smiles. "Yeah, I know," Makoto replied.

"But if you guys weren't together yet..." Kai continued, getting Makoto to frown as he turned his attention to Elli, "then I'd have to ask you out, sweetie."

Gray rolled his eyes, Mary shook her head, and Popuri pouted a bit. "Kai!" Karen exclaimed.

Makoto gave Kai a suspicious glare, but Elli simply laughed. She pulled herself close to Makoto. "Sorry, Kai," she replied, unable to help but smile. "I'd still have to turn you down." Then she looked up at Makoto, placing her hand on his cheek. "And don't you get all worried, Makoto."

"Yeah, I'm just playing with you guys," Kai told him.

"Yeah, well I have a defective sense of humor," Makoto said seriously. Kai shrugged, and Makoto exchanged a smirk with Elli. Finally, the two of them cracked up, and after a moment or so, Kai did as well.

"You're pretty weird, Mackie." He playfully rolled his eyes, and then flashed a smile. "So, how've you guys been?"

They exchanged smiles before answering. "We're great," Elli replied, taking Makoto's hand. She looked into his eyes and asked. "Isn't that right, Makoto?"

"You got it," Makoto answered.

Kai grinned. "Awesome," he said. He waved a hand at the table. "C'mon, guys, have a seat."

After eating, the group headed outside and idly tossed around a frisbee. When it landed in the water, they grabbed a few towels and sat in the refreshing evening breeze for a little while, until Makoto and Elli got up and said goodnight.

"Wait a minute, guys!" Kai said, jumping to his feet and brushing sand off his shorts. "Would you wanna come around at about nine tomorrow for a little party I'm throwing? Rock's coming back to town." They looked to each other for an answer, until they tacitly agreed on it.

"Sure," Elli replied.

"Yeah, it sounds cool," Makoto added. He looked over at Elli, and added: "We'll put Stu to bed and come right over."

"Alriiiiight!" Kai exclaimed, giving another one of his grins. "See ya then!"

As she and Makoto left, Kai shook his head and asked: "Dude, are they married or something?" When the others gave him baffled looks, he continued. "I mean, what's with this 'putting Stu to bed' business?"

"They _are_ like they're married!" Popuri chimed in, getting Kai to pay attention to her. She giggled. "Stu told me. He said that they cook together, too!"

"Really now?" he asked, half-interested. Popuri nodded. "Whatever," Kai continued. "It's cool that Mackie helps Elli out like that." He gave a laugh. "I could never do that with a chick."

"And why not?" Popuri asked, placing a hand on her hip and pouting a bit. "If you loved a girl, you would."

Kai laughed again. "You're funny, Popuri, you know that?" When he read the baffled expression on her face, he added: "Well, I haven't fallen in love with any chick yet, so... whatever." He laughed again, oblivious as Popuri's balled her fists at her sides, and as her face turned pink.

"What do you mean 'whatever'??" she demanded. Startled, Kai stared at her, mouth slightly agape.

"Well--" he stammered. "Nothing, I guess. I just meant--" But Popuri wouldn't hear any of it. Instead, she let out a loud groan and stormed off, only to be followed by Cliff and Ann. Karen stayed behind with Mary and Gray, rolling her eyes at Kai.

"Nice move, dumbass."

Kai sputtered. "What?" he asked. "I just told her what I thought."

Gray huffed, adjusting the brim of his baseball cap over his eyes. "You gotta learn how to talk to girls," he muttered.

"I know how to talk to girls," Kai told him, coolly smirking. "I mean, I do it all the time, right?"

But none of the others would carry on the discussion. Instead, Karen said: "Let's set up for tomorrow..." She narrowed her eyes, and leaned in towards Kai. "When you'll make up with Popuri."

"Whatever," Kai replied. "It doesn't bother me. Let's just have fun."

Karen groaned, and headed off as well. "On second thought, count me out," she called back. Kai ran after her.

"Wait!" He reached out and stopped her. "Why??"

She huffed. "You'd have to be an idiot to not be able to tell that Popuri's madly in love with you, and yet you have no regard for her feelings."

"In love?" Kai asked. He gave a bemused grin. "I just thought she had some kind of little crush on me."

That did it. Karen sprang forth and got in his face, jabbing a finger at his chest so hard that he cried out in shock and stumbled back. "You know, Kai, Rick was right about you! And I can't believe I defended you before!" She gave him a shove. "I just wish Popuri would see right through you and see you for the jerk you are!"

Kai looked floored. With that, he watched Karen spin around on her heels and leave. After a moment or so, he turned to Gray and Mary for their input. Neither of them said anything, but their silence spoke for them. Then they headed off as well.

"Fine, go on!" Kai called out after them, loud enough so even Karen could hear. "I'll just party with Mackie and Elli!"

Mary looked over at him, and politely said: "Kai, just forget it." Muttering to himself, Kai slumped over to one of the beach towels and sat down, shaking his head.

**xXxXxX**

**Looks like Rick _was _right. Maybe Kai can redeem himself. (Just maybe.) Thanks all for reading and/or reviewing! Anyway, onto the shout outs...**

**Ferocious Death-Kappa- **Yeah, it would definitely be Tootie who'd discover the bruises on Stu. Oh, Stu, don't tell her you "fell down the stairs again". As for Makoto and Elli breaking up constantly... pfft. Silly kids. I'm enjoying writing about Makoto and his father as well... and of course, writing about the Doctor. **Rhianwen- **Ditto about Makoto and his Dad and the Doctor. Manna's just scary like that, I guess. Shuffled off his mortal coil at the hands of a cucumber... I like it! **Mudkips Reign- **Yes, well, thanks for the "Too long, didn't read" review. I was waiting for one of those. **Synesthesetic Soul- **I know... the last one did turn out kind of depressing until the ending. I did want to turn things around a bit with this one, so hopefully that went well.** JustWrite- **Oh, the conflicted feelings. I guess we gotta see where this goes, huh? **Kurai Hitokiri- **Great to hear from you again! I'll be sure to check out your new story, too.

**Until next time, folks.**


	16. Lover Man

**Strawberry Fields- Insert Coin To Continue  
**

**xXxX**

After storming off from the beach that evening, Karen, Cliff, Ann, Mary, and Gray stopped in Rose Square. Shaking, Karen found herself barely able to talk. Cliff spoke up instead. "Wow," he started, shaking his head. "That guy really is a_ jerk, _huh?"

"Rick was right!" Karen finally exclaimed. "This whole time, he was right!" She sputtered. "I can't believe more people didn't see through this jerk before. Shaking her head, she buried her face in her palm. "I can't believe I didn't believe Rick, either. All this time..."

"Well, Rick goes a bit overboard on this whole Kai thing, too," Gray pointed out.

There was a slight quaver in Karen's voice as she spoke. "Yeah, but I should have listened to him. Now he's completely upset over this." She shook her head, and began walking in the direction of the Inn. "I'm going to go to look for him."

Silence fell over the others for a moment or two as they watched her go. After a moment or two, Ann piped up.

"Well," she said to Cliff. "My dad gave me the rest of the night off. Wanna go for a hike or something?"

"Sure," Cliff replied, grinning a bit. He reached into his pocket briefly, and nodded at Ann. The two took each other's hands and headed off, saying their goodbyes to Mary and Gray. With nothing else to do, Mary and Gray ambled about the square for a little while.

Meanwhile, Rick sat by himself at the bar, a glass of whiskey in hand. Glumly resting his face on his palm, he stared out into space. Everyone else sitting at the Inn that night gave him the occasional glance, and when Basil asked Doug about him, Doug replied: "Yeah, that's his last one."

Duke got out of his seat, strolled over to Rick, and sat down next to him. "Doug!" he said, holding up a finger. "Gimme another glass!"

Doug poured out a glass of red wine, handing it to Duke. "This is a good one," Duke said to Rick, pointing to the glass. "It's from California."

"I'll try it next time," Rick mumbled, lazily pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Duke took a sip, mentioning a little more about the wine. His words seemed like nothing more than muttering to Rick, that was, until he asked about Popuri.

"So, what is Popuri doing over at Kai's house tonight?"

Rick growled, waving his hand. "Ahhh, she went over with Karen and Mary and Gray and everyone else so that cad could cook them dinner and suck up to all of them and put the moves on my sister." Shaking his head, he added: "He's probably trying to get her drunk or something... I heard he had Mike's there, and--"

Holding up his hand, Duke said: "I've told you this so many times, Rick..." He took a sip of his wine, and fixed a serious look upon Rick. "If you let Popuri hang around Kai, she's going to get hurt, and-"

"And _I'm_ the one who let it happen," Rick slurred, burying his head in his arms. "I know... It'd be awful if I let it happen, too."

Duke watched him for a moment, and then said: "Well, yeah, exactly." Without even looking up, Rick shook his head and mumbled something in response, to which Duke replied: "I think you've had too much to drink, Rick."

Rick muttered a "Pot, kettle," response, but Duke didn't hear him. Instead, he finished off the last of his wine, threw down some cash, and with a couple of slurred "G'nights" for everyone, he unsteadily made his way out of the Inn. Rick buried his head in his arms, that was, until he was stirred by someone tapping on his shoulder. Groggily, he glanced up at Karen.

"Come on, Rick," she said. "Let's get out of here."

"You've come back, huh?" Rick asked dryly. He huffed. "How was your dinner party?"

"Awful," Karen told him, getting him to perk up a bit. "Just awful." She offered her hand to Rick, who took it as he clambered to his feet. As the two made their way out of the Inn, she started to explain everything that had happened.

**xXxX**

Rick found that he couldn't quite remember what had happened the night before. Early the next morning, he stumbled down the stairs of his house and into the kitchen. Grabbing a glass from the dish rack, he poured himself some water from the sink and gulped the water. With the second glass he poured himself, he took out a pack of aspirins from his pocket. After swallowing them with another swig of water, he set down his half-empty glass and headed out the door.

Even though it was cool that morning, and the sun hadn't yet come up, he still broke out into a sweat. He made his way over to the mailbox and opened it up, only for a bunch of birthday cards to spill out at his feet. Bending down, he picked up the cards and looked at some of them, finding one from Karen her family, one from Ann, another from Mary, Elli and Stu, Cliff, Carter, and even Makoto. He placed all the cards back inside for Popuri to find later, but found another letter from some boarding house in the mailbox. It was from his father.

_Dear Rick and Popuri,_

_First of all, here's wishing Popuri a Happy 17th Birthday. I hope you kids are doing well. _

Rick simply skimmed through the letter, folding it up and shoving it in his pocket as soon as he finished. In the few years he was gone, he had only written a handful of letters. Still, he wrote just about the same thing each time. Grabbing his apron from the side of the chicken coop and tying it around his waist, Rick thought about his father visiting all sorts of locations, searching for a cure for Lillia's illness. Of course, those thoughts were followed with images of him living comfortably away from his kids, traveling from place to place and visiting friends from high school and college.

Even as Rick went about his work that morning, he found he couldn't get his father out of his head. That was until he headed back into his house to get cleaned up. As he passed Popuri's bedroom, he heard sniffling. Stopping, he put his ear to the door, only to hear Popuri's sobs.

"Popuri!" Rick exclaimed, throwing open the door. Popuri laid faced down on her pink bedspread, her face buried in her pillow. He headed up to her bed, getting on his knees and placing a hand on her back. "What happened, Sis?? What's wrong??"At first, she couldn't choke out her reply. "What's wrong??"

"You were right," Popuri finally mumbled into her pillow. She sniffled. "Kai's a _jerk_!"

Recalling what Karen had told him the night before, his face fell. "Oh..." he said, furrowing his brow. He clambered to his feet and shook his head. "I've been telling you that for _years_, Popuri. _Now_ you're realizing it?"

Popuri jumped up; her face had gone red. "You don't understand, Rick!" she cried, her voice coarse. She jerked her thumb at the door. "Get out!!"

"But..."

She smacked him with a pillow. "OUT!!"

Groaning, Rick shuffled out of her pink bedroom and back into the hallway, finding his mother out there. "Mom," he started, closing the door behind himself. "Popuri's really, really freaking out. Go talk to her about Kai, and tell her what a worthless jerk he is."

"We talked last night, honey," his mother replied quietly. She sighed tiredly. "And you know she's in love with him." Rick growled.

"Yeah, well, he's a cad!" he snapped. "I don't see why she would even like that jerk in the first place!"

"Whatever your opinion is of him, Rick, you should be more sympathetic towards your sister," Lillia told him.

Rick sputtered. "Ugh! _Seriously_?"

Lillia shook her head. "Please try to be more understanding of Popuri, Rick."

For a moment, Rick didn't reply. "Yeah," he muttered. "Fine..."

Giving him a dejected look, Lillia said: "Rick, could you start breakfast? I'll be down in a minute."

"Sure thing, Mom." Rick watched his mother as she headed into the bathroom, opened up the medicine cabinet, and took out her morning medications. After a moment, he headed down the stairs. Just as he made it into the living room, the doorbell rang. "Coming!" Rick called out. He headed for the door and pulled it open, only to find Zack standing on the stoop.

"Hey, Rick," Zack said, extending his large hand.

Rick gave him a shake. "Hey, Zack."

Handing him a package about the size of a large encyclopedia, Zack said: "This is for your mother." Taking it and holding it under his arm, Rick nodded. "So..." Zack started again, a little awkwardly. "Your sister invited me for dinner tonight... I'm, err... I'm looking forward to that."

"Dinner?" Rick asked. Looking a bit baffled, Zack nodded. "Oh, right..." Rick continued. "Popuri's birthday." He nodded. "Yeah... umm... it should be fun."

"Yeah," Zack agreed, still a little puzzled. "Umm... what time should I come over?"

"About six," Rick replied with a shrug.

"Sounds good." Zack said, turning as he headed down the front steps. With that, he gave a salute. "See you tonight, Rick."

Rick watched him go for a moment before shutting the door. He headed back into the kitchen with his mother's package, placing it on the counter. As he headed for the fridge to get some eggs, he called up to Popuri. She showed up ten minutes after Lillia sat at the table, her face and eyes still red.

**xXxX**

Kai usually rolled out of bed around nine each morning, always a couple hours after Gray got up. After getting dressed, he tied his bandana around his short, buzzed hair and grinned at his reflection in the mirror. He then headed out the door, only to find Ann lugging cleaning supplies down the hallway.

"Hey, babe," he said, flashing a smile as he approached her. "D'you need a little help with that stuff?" She ignored him. But when he tried taking her bucket from her, she snapped at him.

"Leave me alone, Kai. And don't call me 'babe' anymore!"

Baffled, Kai asked: "What's wrong, Ann?"

"Nothing," Ann replied. "Just your attitude towards Popuri..."

"Aww, come on!" Kai exclaimed, holding out his arms. "Are you _seriously_ mad about that?"

"Piss off, Kai." With that, Ann pushed past him, somehow managing to smack him on the head with the mop. Shaking his head, Kai nursed the sore spot as he headed for the stairs.

Having Doug speak to him curtly was nothing new, but it agitated him as he shoveled down his breakfast. Finishing his orange juice, he fished out some cash from his pockets and left it on the table, sure to leave a bigger tip than usual before he hurried out the door. He had nowhere to go, however. No one would come to his snack stand until about noon, and since he seemed to have pissed off the entire town overnight, it meant no one was coming for a while.

Kai ambled about the town, passing Saibara's shop. The door opened up and Gray stepped outside, wiping sweat off his brow with a ragged bandana. He then took notice of Kai and strolled up to him.

"Hey, man," he said, shoving the bandana into his back pocket. Kai nodded in acknowledgment. "What's up?"

"Friggin' miserable," Kai muttered. "Not to mention, Ann whacked me with a mop."

Gray ignored him. "Are you gonna apologize to Popuri?" he asked.

"I don't know why I should," Kai replied, shaking his head. Without another word, Gray clapped Kai and the shoulder and walked back towards the shop, leaving Kai there.

He then found himself ambling again, walking down the road leading to Strawberry Fields. For a moment, he watched Makoto as he got on his knees and started planting seeds. When Makoto clambered to his feet, he looked over his shoulder and noticed Kai hanging out near the barn, arching his eyebrow.

"Hey there, Mackie!" Kai said, swaggering up to him. Makoto met him halfway. "Whatcha up to?" Kai asked, clapping his arm.

Makoto pointed at the fields. "Working," he replied. "I've been planting since seven-thirty." He gave a stretch, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing really," Kai replied coolly. "Just planning that party and all... By the way, I'm gonna open up the Seaside Lounge for lunch today if you wanna come by."

Makoto shrugged. "Maybe another day." Motioning to the huge sack of seeds at his side, he added: "I need to finish this planting today, and then I gotta check in on Anna's garden later."

"The people here actually let you into their homes now?" Kai asked incredulously.

"No, just their gardens," Makoto told him dully.

Kai chuckled. "Funny, man. Listen..." His expression became a bit more serious. "Whaddya do when you've pissed off everyone in town?" When Makoto arched his eyebrow at him, he shrugged and added: "Because I have no clue."

"Are you asking me because I have experience pissing off loads of people at once?" Makoto asked. Kai didn't say anything, and instead frowned. "Just try to stop pissing people off all the time and try to fit in."

"I can't believe _you_ just said that," Kai said, his mouth agape.

Makoto gritted his teeth. "I'm just trying not to be a social leper anymore." He glared, getting Kai to inch back. Shaking his head, Makoto continued. "Just try to make things right with everyone. I mean, you've got ten times the charm I do, so if _I _can do it, _you_ can do it."

"I'll try," Kai said with a sigh. He glanced over at the poultry ranch, and suddenly turned and headed away. "See ya at the party tonight, Mackie!" Without giving his sudden departure much thought, Makoto got back down on his knees again, only to be interrupted by Rick.

"What'd that jerk want, Mackie?" he called out, running up to Makoto.

Makoto looked up as Rick approached. "He was just blowing off steam," he said with a shrug. He stuck his finger in the dirt, and dropped in a couple of seeds. "I guess people are angry with him."

"Well, I'll have you know he did something to Popuri last night." When Makoto arched his eyebrow, Rick continued, pacing a bit. "Popuri came home crying last night! That jerk did something to her that got her upset!"

Makoto found he wasn't sure what to say. "Ummm... wow. That sucks."

"It does!" Rick snapped. But before Makoto could say anything else, he added: "You were with him last night..." He narrowed his eyes a bit. "Weren't you?"

"I don't know what he did," Makoto answered, half-focused on his planting. "Elli and I left early. But from what I saw, he seemed nice to your sister."

"He's just working that _charm _of his," Rick muttered. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "And what was this about a party?"

"Kai's having another get-together at the Seaside Lounge," Makoto told him. "That kid, Rock, is coming down from the Valley."

"See, Rock is alright," Rick said. "Did Kai invite Popuri?"

"I guess," Makoto replied, shrugging. "I don't know..."

"_C'mon_, Mackie!"

"It's the truth," Makoto told him pointedly. Rick sighed, watching as Makoto did his work. "Besides... if Kai did something to get Popuri upset, why would she still go to this party?"

"Are you still going?" Rick asked. Makoto shrugged, covering up a hole with some dirt.

"If Elli wants, I guess..." He paused, taking notice to Rick's scowl.

"You're better off not going," Rick told him. "Seriously."

Makoto looked up. "I dunno, man," he sighed. "Whatever."

Rick shrugged. "Oh well," he said. "I need to get back to work." With that, he headed back to the fence, waving to Makoto as he left. "See ya!" Makoto gave a wave back, and once Rick turned away, he got back to his work.

After another hour or two, he headed inside to eat a little bit of lunch. After heating up some leftovers from Elli's house, he sat down at the counter and turned on the television, watching a censored version of _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ for a while as he ate. Ein waited at his feet until Makoto tossed him a small piece of ham. He eagerly gobbled it up and stood there again, wagging his tail.

As he finished his lunch, Makoto looked through the pile of mail he had brought in. Bills, a men's clothing catalogue, and a letter from his father. Makoto dropped his fork, and quickly tore open the envelope.

_Dear Makoto,_

_Hello, son. I am writing again because I realized we really don't get to speak enough on the phone. I would like it if we could send each other a letter each week. At least we would be able to keep in contact. And I really am sorry that we had such a terrible fight over the phone last week. The last thing I want to do is fight with my only son._

_I'm pretty sure you need some financial help. I know you are too embarrassed to ask, since you've always wanted to be so independent. Enclosed is a check for five hundred dollars._

Arching an eyebrow, Makoto peeked into the envelope. Sure enough, there was another slip of paper included. He read on.

_So, Makoto, I am counting down the days until I visit you. I am looking forward to seeing you again, and to meeting Elli and her family. Please write back._

_-Dad_

As he read over the letter again, Makoto got up and brought his plate to the sink. As soon as he washed it, he got out a pad and a pen from one of the kitchen drawers, sat down at the counter again, and hastily began writing.

_Dear Dad,_

_Thanks for the money. I'm sending it back. I make enough money here for myself, and while I have to save up for repairs on my house, it's not something that I can't afford. So I can't take your money. Put it towards your trip here._

_I don't really have a lot to say. You want me to write a letter, though, so I'll try to at least tell you something. _

_I'm glad that you want to meet Elli. She's really great. She was one of the first people I've really been able to talk to in a while._ _I feel like she's gotten me to become a better person. Not to mention, she is so patient with me. She's more than just the 'girl I'm seeing', Dad. I know I've written a lot of this before, but I want to show you how much Elli means to me. _

"Hey, Makoto!" Giving a jump, Makoto dropped his pen and spun around, only to see Elli coming up behind him, holding a picnic basket. Elli let out a laugh, placing the basket on the counter next to him. Then she gave him a kiss on the head, and asked: "Why so startled, sweetie?"

"I wasn't expecting you," Makoto replied sheepishly, hiding the letter with his hands.

"I wasn't expecting to be caught bringing you lunch," Elli told him, sitting close to him.

Makoto smiled. "I ate already, but thanks."

"That's right..." Elli said. "You had leftovers, huh?"

Patting the basket, Makoto replied: "I'll eat this tomorrow for lunch, though."

"Here," Elli said, getting up and taking the basket. "I'll put it in the fridge for you."

"Thanks." Makoto watched her as she headed over to the kitchen, idly writing a little bit about living on a farm. When she sat down next to him again, he flipped over his letter and asked: "So how's your day been?"

She took notice of the letter, along with the one that Makoto's father had sent. "It's been good. How about yours?"

"It's been alright," Makoto told her. "Kai was talking to me about how everyone hates him now, and Rick was telling me about what a jerk he is. But I got a lot of planting done."

"That's great," Elli told him with a smile. "So, _everyone_ hates Kai now?"

"I guess."

"Huh." Elli shrugged. "Say, are we going to that party of his tonight?"

"If you can't think of anything better to do."

"Well..." Elli replied, giving a mischievous smile as she touched his lap. "Let's see about that..." Half-grinning, Makoto leaned in and kissed her. After a couple of moments, they drew back from each other, and Elli glanced at the letter.

"Are you writing to your dad?" she asked, getting Makoto to cover up the letter again. Playfully smirking, Elli continued. "Is it something you don't want me to see?"

"I don't know what to write to my dad," Makoto blurted out. "But he wants me to write him a more often, now." He sighed, cupping his chin in his palm and sliding the letter over to Elli. "I guess he's worried about me, but I don't have a lot to talk about with him."

Elli found herself eyeing Makoto's letter, and quickly found it difficult to speak. "Well..." she started. "I guess..."

Makoto glanced down at the letter, and once he noticed Elli looking at it, he turned away. "I wrote a lot about you last time, too," he explained. "And all he said was: 'I'm glad you're seeing that girl...'."

"Makoto, that's okay..."

"But I told him how I feel about you, Elli," Makoto continued, looking at her again.

Elli placed her hand on his. "And I'm sure he understands that."

"Well, maybe," Makoto said. "But I don't know. He doesn't really acknowledge what I say to him about you, and that bothers me." He sighed again. "But I don't know... I know he cares and everything. He even asked how we were doing."

"See?" Elli asked him, smiling faintly.

Makoto shared the smile. "But I want him to see how I feel about you," he told her. "I mean..." He huffed. "I grew up hardly making friends or anything, so I would think he'd be happy to see that all changing." Sighing, he went on. "I mean, I told him about Cliff and Karen, and you, but I don't think it matters to him if I make friends or not. He doesn't even have any friends."

"Makoto, come on. Don't be like that."

"I just have this feeling that he doesn't even want me to be here," Makoto continued. The stern expression that crossed Elli's face a second before softened. "Despite that ending up here was the best thing that ever happened to me." Placing her hand on his shoulder, Elli listened as he continued. "I know he misses me and I miss him, but had I stayed home, I'd..." He trailed off, sighing.

Elli looked him in the eyes. "I'm sure that when he comes to visit, he'll see that being here has really helped you." She mused over her words. "I mean, he'll see how you were when you were younger, and how you are now... he has to see that living here is doing you a lot of good."

"I really hope he'll see it that way..." Makoto replied, slumping in his seat. "Oh well... he'll be here in the fall." He looked at Elli. "I guess we just have to see how it goes."

She took his hand, and smiled. "Yeah..." With a smile of his own, Makoto got up and led her to the door.

"Come on," he said, putting his arm around her. "I'll walk you back to the clinic."

**xXxX**

Later on that evening, Rick sat down for dinner with his family, Karen, and Zack. Uncomfortably tugging at his shirt collar, Zack smiled nervously at Lillia, who smiled back at him. After that, he did his best not to maintain eye contact, instead idly looking around the dining room at the curtains and the hutch.

Rick pretended that he didn't notice Zack stealing furtive glances at Lillia, and motioned to the food. "Well, you guys," he said. "Let's eat."

"This meal looks great, Rick," Zack blurted out.

"Thanks, man," Rick replied, flashing a thumbs-up. He then took notice to Popuri, who sighed quietly. "Say, Popuri," he started. "Do you wanna see if a couple of people wanna hang out at the Inn or something later tonight?"

"They're probably all going to Kai's party," Popuri muttered, propping up her face with her fist. Lillia passed her a plate of vegetables; Popuri took it and only served herself a small helping.

"I doubt it, after what happened last night," Karen chimed in, looking across the table at Popuri. "Now, can we not talk about Kai?"

Popuri half-heartedly nodded, prodding at her food a bit. "Well, I guess we can hang out."

After all of the dishes were piled into the dishwasher, Lillia excused herself and headed upstairs to take her medicine. Popuri and Karen headed into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, leaving Zack and Rick at the table alone. The guys sort of nodded at each other, not really making eye contact. Finally, Rick spoke up.

"Thanks for coming today," he said.

Zack nodded. "Thanks for inviting me," he replied. "I like spending time with your family."

"And my mom?" Rick asked. Zack gulped.

"All you guys."

"It's okay if you like my mom," Rick continued. Zack tugged at his collar again, averting his eyes. "My dad's not coming back, anyway."

Sighing, Zack said: "Don't say that, Rick. Your dad's out there, looking for that cure for your mom. And one day he'll find it, and he'll come home after that."

"A small part of me still believes that," Rick told him, indicating a small amount with his thumb and forefinger. "But it's been six years." Zack opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Karen and Popuri came out into the dining room with the coffee pot and some mugs. "Sis, go get Mom," Rick told Popuri, tapping her on the shoulder. "I'll go get your cake out of the fridge." She nodded, and after setting down the mugs, she left to get Lillia. Before heading into the kitchen, Rick took one more look at Zack and shook his head, leaving Zack looking hurt.

**xXxX**

Rock pointed his bottle of beer at Kai. "Some party you've got going here, buddy," he said sarcastically, half-heartedly bobbing his head to the Billy Joel song on the radio. Kai slumped down in his beach chair, eyeing the cooler that sat outside the door of the Seaside Lounge. It was still full to the brink with soda, beer, and hard lemonade.

"Yeah. well, people were _supposed _to show up," he told Rock. "I invited a whole bunch of people." Resting his chin against his palm, he mumbled: "Mackie and Elli might show up, though."

"Who are they?" Rock asked, taking a sip of his beer. "The couple with the kid?"

"That kid is Elli's _brother_," Kai corrected. "But, yeah, that's them." For a moment, Rock flatly sang along with the Billy Joel song, just before taking another sip of his beer.

"So, why aren't people coming over?" he asked.

"Because," Kai answered, "I effectively pissed off everyone in this town yesterday."

Rock arched his eyebrows curiously, sitting up a bit. "How'd you manage that, buddy?"

"I said something to a girl that I shouldn't have said," Kai told him. "You know, that Popuri girl I was telling you about."

Giving a sardonic laugh, Rock asked: "_You_ said something wrong to a girl?" Kai nodded, sinking lower into his seat. "But you always know what to say to girls! I mean, you're always freakin' getting laid." Kai fixed a glare upon Rock, but he remained oblivious.

"Yeah, well, it's not just about getting laid with this girl," Kai blurted out. He groaned. "I feel like such an idiot..."

Facing Kai, Rock held up his hands. "Whoa! Whoa! Slow down! You don't actually _like_ this girl, do you?"

"Hell no!" Kai replied. "She's like a little kid!"

Rock chuckled. "Hey, I saw her in that bathing suit of hers. She's no little kid."

"I met her when she was twelve!" Kai cried, his face almost turning red. "It's just weird, man."

"Yeah?" Rock grinned. "So, what's she now? Eighteen or nineteen or something? It's cool if she's over eighteen, y'know."

"She's _seventeen_, you moron!"

"I dunno why you still see her as a little kid," Rock continued seriously. "I mean... did you _see_ her in that bathing suit of hers?"

"Yeah, she's hot," Kai told him. "Whatever. All the chicks here are hot."

"She doesn't seem that bad personality-wise, either," Rock said. "I talked to her for a bit yesterday. She actually seems pretty cool. Kind of flighty, but still pretty cool." Kai half-groaned, half-sighed. "And she seems to like you."

"She _did_," Kai said. "Until I pissed her off." He groaned. "And I can't help but see her as a little kid. Like I said, I met her when she was twelve." He huffed, taking a sip of beer. "She still acts like a kid, too."

"Well, do you mind if I date her?" Rock asked.

Kai slammed down his beer. "She's off-limits, man!"

"So, that means you like her, huh?" Rock asked with a smirk. "Didn't you throw this party for her birthday or something?"

In exasperation, Kai replied: "Up yours..." He snatched up his beer, and swore under his breath. Rock simply laughed.

"What's the matter, Kai?" Grumbling to himself, Kai slammed down his beer and sank into his seat as Rock snickered at him. Then, once the sounds of a snare drum roll came from the radio, Rock sprang out of his seat and started singing slightly off-key. "That's great! It starts with an earthquake. Birds and snakes and airplanes... Lenny Bruce is not afraid..."

Kai rolled his eyes, muttering along with the song. "I have a hurricane, listen to yourself turn, world serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs..."

"Wrong lyrics, you moron!" Rock cut in.

Taking another sip of his beer, Kai asked: "Who the hell knows the lyrics to this song, anyway?" He shook his head. "You're an awful singer, by the way." Grinning, Rock continued, babbling about half the lyrics until he reached "_Vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight_..."

Slumping in his chair, Kai found himself staring up at the night sky as Rock carried on. He closed his eyes and saw more people gathered around, drinking and chatting. Then he imagined Popuri surrounded by everyone else, smiling and giggling.

And then somebody smacked him. He jolted awake and frantically looked about. "What the _hell_?!" From next to him, Rock rolled his eyes.

"Don't freakin' fall asleep on me, man. This party is boring enough as is."

Kai groaned. "Then go home."

"Can't, man. The train's stopped running."

"Then shut up."

Rock rolled his eyes again, and kept singing along with radio in an off-key falsetto: "_It's been a long time since I rock'n'rolled..._"

**xXxX**

Kai made his way into the Inn later that night, only to be greeted with a few scowls from the guys. Managing a half-grin, he strode up to the bar and waved Doug over. "Lemme get a beer, man."

"Sure thing," Doug replied gruffly. He grabbed a glass and turned to the tap, and as he did, Gray came up to the counter with his drink and sat down next to Kai, mumbling out a greeting.

Kai sighed. "Thanks for coming to my party," he said sarcastically.

"Mary didn't want to go," Gray told him, getting a beer from Doug. "l didn't want to just ditch her and go, you know." Kai kind of shrugged and gulped down about half of his beer. "So, have you talked with Popuri?" Gray continued.

"No," Kai told him. "Why should I?"

Gray didn't speak up right away. He took a sip of his beer, and shook his head. "You're an asshole."

Grinning, Kai looked over at Gray and readied himself to give him a playful punch on the shoulder. But when he noticed Gray giving him the cold shoulder, he settled back into his seat with a sigh. "I guess you're right, buddy," he started, getting Gray to glance up. "I should apologize to her."

Arching his eyebrows, Gray watched him get up and pay for his beer. There wasn't a trace of his usual grin on his face as he did so. Then Gray turned and noticed Ann watching as well, who mouthed to him: "_He's actually apologizing_?"

"_Yeah_," Gray mouthed back. Incredulously, Ann shook her head and went about her work.

It didn't take long for Kai to find Popuri. Once he turned the corner, he ran into her, along with Karen and Rick. "Look who it is," Rick sneered. "Shouldn't you be at that party of yours, _Kai_?"

"Yeah, well..." Kai found he had trouble admitting that his party was a bust. "No one..."

"No one showed up?" Karen asked him. Kai nodded.

"Good," Rick commented.

"Shut up, Rick," Kai snapped. "I want to talk to your sister, so leave me alone." He turned his attention to Popuri, who looked a bit baffled. Taking in a deep breath, he approached her. As he came closer, he could see tears welling up in her eyes. But before he could say anything, she slapped him in the face. He winced. "Listen, Popuri," he started, rubbing his sore cheek. "I was a real jerk the other day, and I'm totally sorry."

"You're a real jerk all the time, Kai," Rick grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

Shaking his head, Kai went on. "You're real special, Popuri." The look on Popuri's face softned. She sniffled, wiping a tear away. "And a guy like me could learn a lot from a girl like you. So..." He paused. "I'd like to make it up to you."

"Kai..." Popuri started.

"I need to do something really nice for you," Kai continued. He caught sight of Rick's disapproving stare, and said to him: "I'm serious, Rick. I have to make this up to your sister."

Popuri's face brightened. "Kai...?" she asked. "Do you mean... Are you..." She stammered a bit, her smile widening. "Are you asking me out?"

Kai was little taken aback at first at how fast Popuri went from angry to happy, but then he replied. "Uh... yeah," he said. He managed a smile, and added: "Totally! We should totally go out tomorrow night."

"Oh, no you don't!" Rick exclaimed, holding up his hands. When he saw Popuri wasn't even paying attention to him, he turned to Karen. But she simply shook her head, looking unsure of what to say or do.

Popuri rolled her eyes at Rick. "That sounds great, Kai!" she exclaimed. "Meet me at my house tomorrow at seven."

"Umm... yeah," Kai said, giving a slight grin. "You got it, babe." With that, he waved goodnight and headed away, leaving Rick, Karen, and Popuri there. Rick and Karen glanced over at Popuri, who looked stunned and ecstatic. She put her hands to her mouth.

"He asked me out!" she exclaimed, her words muffled by her hands. Then, unable to contain herself, she grabbed Karen by the wrists. "It took him five years, but he finally got the courage to do it!"

"It's not a matter of courage, Popuri..." Rick muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever, Rick!" Popuri retorted. She beamed. "I don't care. I finally have the chance to go out with Kai!"

Rick folded his arms over his chest. "Well, we're making it a double date," he told her. "I'm not letting you go out with that jerk by yourself."

Popuri huffed. "You're _not_ coming with me, Rick," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't need you and Kai getting into a fight on our first date."

"First?" Rick asked. "I'm hoping it's the only one..." Before he could say anything else, Popuri stomped hard on his foot. "Awww, shit!!" he cried, hopping up on one foot and wincing. After the pain died down, made his way with Karen and Popuri to the Inn, sulking all the while. Still, his gloomy mood couldn't deter Popuri's cheerfulness.

**xXxX**

**I know, I know... I've been gone forever and I apologize. ****Well, thanks everyone for reading... Happy New Year!!  
**


End file.
